[Alby]

Hi,
   Egg production took a nose dive today  which given that I have been getting a regular supply led me to have a search around the plot.
   I found one eggshell outside of the fencing about 40 yds away from the henhouse, the shell had been broken on the side and contents gone .

   I did have a BAD rat problem but I think I got it sorted to a manageble level , also got magpies ( lots ) around the plot as it is very isolated and situated up a bridle path far from anything or anyone ( lovely really )

  Dont think a Rat could get it through the wire so wondered if a maggie could get it out of the henhouse and carry it that far ??

  Any ideas
                Alby

[8doubles]

If you haven`t got wire on the roof of the pen rats will still climb in , i have shot a few 12ft up in tree branches, they are very good climbers.
Squirrels will take eggs too.

[Alby]

Ive left a poison tunnel for the rats so they do have access if they get past the bait, but cant find any signs around this, although it was getting a bit dark and pouring down 
 
      Alby

[mrs.ploppy]

It will be more likely that the magpies are the problem as the rats are there to eat just about everything else.  My friend and I watched a team of magpies steal eggs from the nest box at her stables.  Straight in throughthe pop hole, rolled out the eggs and flew off short distance and gobbled the lot.  They got it off to a fine art after a lot of practice and now they have dangly net curtain affair over the pop hole which dose not bother the chickens but the magpies dont seem to want to go through.

[Alby]

net curtains  sounds like a good idea thanks

                      Alby

[Beano]

We had a problem with three young Jays. I assume it was the Jays because as soon as they moved on the egg thieving stopped.

[SMD66]

we had a young magpie steal eggs early this yr, found them empty with a hole in the side.

[Alby]

we had a yong magpie steal eggs early this yr, found them empty with a hole in the side.

  Got quite a few Jays down there also, either way I,ll work out a way to stop them

        Alby

[mrs.ploppy]

a floppy net curtain or some sort of stip curtain should work!  Good luck as these birds can be quite persistant.