[Thrift]

For the second time of late we are left eggless. OH spotted 5 this morning but was reluctant to disturb the hens as some were laying.

Now there are none  Could it be the crows helping themselves? There's no sign of shells anywhere.

[PaulineM]

Wow,thats terrible 
I suppose it could be crows or magpies, can you watch tomorrow and catch the culprit on. Then you would be in the position to fix the problem accordingly. Good luck 

[hillfooter]

Are these laid out in the open?  If not I doubt a bird is involved.  Hens can eat their own eggs if left in the open and hardly leave a trace unless it's egg on their faces!   It's not uncommon for eggs laid in non-viable (for chick hatching) location to be pecked or "cleaned" up by the hens.

Rats will carry eggs off even from nestboxes.

It's couldn't be some other two legged thief could it

HF

[Thrift]

The eggs are laid in an inner compartment of the henhouse in nest boxes. Crows certainly venture into the first area for the pellets. I did wonder about rats 

No two legged predators about ....... unless it's the postman   

They will be locked in for a little longer tomorrow.

[hillfooter]

The eggs are laid in an inner compartment of the henhouse in nest boxes. Crows certainly venture into the first area for the pellets. I did wonder about rats 

No two legged predators about ....... unless it's the postman   

They will be locked in for a little longer tomorrow.

Rats are incredible animals.  We once had a whole bag of carrots emptied overnight from a locked feed room in which we also stored bales of hay.

Mrs HF blamed our daughter for extravagantly over feeding the horses, though she stenuously denied it.  A month or two latter we were unstacking some hay to feed and came across all the carrots neatly stacked in a void deep within the stack of bales.  They had in the course of one night emptied, completely, a full 20kg sack of carrots and stowed them neatly in their larder.

HF

[ANHBUC]

The eggs are laid in an inner compartment of the henhouse in nest boxes. Crows certainly venture into the first area for the pellets. I did wonder about rats 

No two legged predators about ....... unless it's the postman   

They will be locked in for a little longer tomorrow.

Rats are incredible animals.  We once had a whole bag of carrots emptied overnight from a locked feed room in which we also stored bales of hay.

Mrs HF blamed our daughter for extravagantly over feeding the horses, though she stenuously denied it.  A month or two latter we were unstacking some hay to feed and came across all the carrots neatly stacked in a void deep within the stack of bales.  They had in the course of one night emptied, completely, a full 20kg sack of carrots and stowed them neatly in their larder.

HF

Now we know why they can see in the dark.   

[Thrift]

No further problems since we left the hens and ducks shut in a little later. It must have been crows as I assume rats wouldn't need to use the door 

[pigeonpie]

Squirrels are also very partial to eggs...

[Thrift]

Squirrels are also very partial to eggs...

Yes, those naughty greys. We have very few in Ireland, mostly little reds but none in this area at all.

[penninehillbilly]

Do you have stoats? our eggs were dissappearing and one day I heard a noise, went to investigate and a stoat was pulling an egg out of a container. I shut the doors and we managed to kill it later, they are even better than rats at hiding.

[Thrift]

We do have stoats although I haven't seen any of late. Certainly the stoat was blamed for a disappearing hen and for attacks on the ducks at one time.

[massa]

i agree with HF dont underestimate the rats i have seen rats working together to pinch eggs one layed on its back holding the egg with its feet and the other dragged it by its tail! i couldnt believe what i was seeing.

[joyfull]

I've heard about them doing that from a friend who has witnessed it too - clever little things.