[SMD66]

we bought 9 POL hens at easter and 6 are now laying.  They are various hybrids and looking at the combs I would say the 2 light sussex hybrids and one bluebell hybrid are the ones not yet in lay.  The past 3 days we have found an egg just on the ground in the field.  It was with  a rather big poo and I wondered if it took the hen by surprise and just came out?  If so will she get the idea and start laying in the shed with the others, we do have pot eggs in the nest boxes as encouragement.  The other prob is that one of the eggs on the field was open at the top and was empty, would this have been done by a hen or rat?  I think it was done in the day time.  Thanks, Samantha

[joyfull]

More than likely crow, magpie or rat rather than your hen I would say. Is there anyway you could confine them to a smaller area in the mornings so that she gets the idea where the others are laying?

[SMD66]

they come out of the henhouse into a fox proof run in the mornings from when they wake till when we let them out at about 7 ish.  All the others seem to be getting the knack!  Never thought of magpies or crows, probably the case in daylight.

[joyfull]

I would keep them in the fox proof run for a bit longer as she may be a little slow on the uptake  If it is a magpie think about a larson trap or a gun - pretty birds but a menace.

[SMD66]

will do, it's the weekend tomorrow, time for a lay in, in both senses!  We have a pellet gun, Hubby will keep an eye out for offenders, we have lots of pigeons too who we have had to protect the allotment from, pesky birds.

[Bruced]

Good luck! Mine are in close confinement at the moment, partly due to recent lawn treatment, partly a lesson in where to lay eggs, i.e., like Elsie the Sussex and not on the lawn when there is a marauding 3 year old around with a love of crazy golf   

[Roughlee Handled]

Do the eggs look like this

Then its a magpie or crow.

[SMD66]

it was more of a neater hole and just in the top, (side)

[Roughlee Handled]

If it a neater hole (I have no experience of this) i would guess rodents or rats, but with out a picture its hard to tell.  I have known a magpie crow to take an egg from the nest and 10m away from the coop and eat it. 

If this is a one off it may be as you say some one caught short. Hopefully.

Last year when I had two chucks, I lost all my eggs for 3 weeks to magpies.  I had to trap and kill unfortunately.

[SMD66]

I think we have our culprit!  A couple of days ago hubby saw a young magpie on the field where an egg had been pooped out.  Last night at bed time 2 of the pot eggs were on the floor in the hen house and the other half way down the field.  This morning we let the hens out an hour later at 8 am we saw a young magpie entering the run and pecking around the feed container, (It's a treadle one so it wont be able to get much more than a few spilt pellets).  Our aim is to keep a watch tomorrow and if it goes into the shed we will trap it and get rid.  In the mean time today we collected eggs earlier before they got robbed and when I've just been in again there was a quite distinct magpie feather in one of the nest boxes.  We have our evidence!!  Luckily none of the eggs were touched.  Obviously very clever birds, I am impressed with it's ingenuity at such a young age, but not impressed enough to let it continue in it's criminal ways.

[joyfull]

so glad it's not one of your hens 

[Foxy]

I dont like magpies at all, they took one of my fertile duck eggs this morning when my broody duck came of the nest, they just took one, but the poor duck was distraught as they were 3 of the b.....dy things in the duck house!!!

[Roughlee Handled]

 I caught my two offenders with a larsons trap.  But remember it will not be long till its boot have been filled by another one.

[SMD66]

You think you've got all eventualities covered and another one pops up! And I thought foxes were the only problem.  We will be on magpie watch for a while now I'm sure, till we get them anyway. Thanks for all the help.