[Declan]

I'm losing my eggs at an alarming rate. I have all the hens in one house while I am dealing with a red mite problem. I thought they were laying outside as they are not in their usual surroundings but yesterday, for a trial, i left the eggs in the nesting box and when i went out last night they were all gone. There's no trace of them- no broken shell or wet mess/yolk visible. I've also noticed that my 4 ducks that will either lay in their own house or in the hen house- their eggs that were laid in their own house yesterday morning- they've gone too. I am thinking that if it was rodents of some sort or magpies they would have left some kind of evidence behind. could it be one of my own hens? would it not be usual to see something leftover? 
any comments?

[Frieslandfilly]

Usually you would see something left but not always, we had something (not sure what) stealing our duck eggs, I blocked up a hole under the door and that stopped it, there was never any trace of them. I have some egg eaters in my flock, I have seen them in the act and they leave nothing either!

[HappyHippy]

Nope, magpies will take the whole egg and fly away with it between their beaks   I'm fairly sure rats will take the whole egg too.
HTH
Karen  

[It-needed-a-home]

magpies are a huge problem out with us teying to get them all to lay inside is a nightmare!!!!!! if not they just go missing  they take the whole egg no mess
the air rifle is coming out next week i think !!!!!!

hope this helps

you shoul be able to treat red mite in one day ?? get them back to normal ?

 

[jaykay]

It's definitely rats that steal our eggs sometimes - especially if I don't collect until the evening.

[Anke]

Crows are really good at it too...., also if the egg breaks, hens will "tidy" up after thief!

[Declan]

Well- egg stealing seems to be down to crows and magpies- BUT-- ITS NO LONGER A PROBLEM-- NEITHER IS THE RED MITE!!!!

I came home yesterday afternoon at 2.30pm- all well- hens and ducks were out as usual pottering about down the field --- took my wee boy to the shop (as I hadforgotten to get what I was TOLD by the missus on the way home!!)-- returned home and FOXY had been. I had only been away 25-30minutes.

Lost every one of my 21 hens and 1 duck. I only have 3 ducks left out of everything-- cant believe it. He took all the hens away with a concentration of feathers the only thing left at each kill. He killed my 3 roosters- didn't eat them but just left them lying in the field. 

I am truly ready to give this poultry lark up.

[manian]

oh no.........
poor you

[jaykay]

Oh no -I'm so sorry 

That's one very bold fox at that time in the afternoon 

Sounds like you might need a fenced off area with electric poultry netting. What a pain. It's my biggest fear too as mine also free-range far and wide. One of the chaps who used to shoot the foxes has moved away.... 

[Sylvia]

That really is bad luck. It's not just the loss of hens but the loss of characters you become fond of. I see a big dog fox in the lanes as I drive about, he looks behind at me, puts two fingers up and saunters away across the fields He is probably an R.S.P.C.A. "rescue" as he is completely unafraid.
Too early in the season now but contact your local hunt if foxes are a problem, they can begin cubbing on my land as soon as possible!