My chickens started laying in a spot in the barn that I could see but couldn't get to very easy. There was probably 15 eggs and one of my hens started sitting on the nest. I left her alone and only saw her off the nest 1 time getting a drink. After about 21 days she is off the nest, feathers ruffled up and clucking like they do but I found no chicks and the nest was clean..no egg shell and no chicks. Did she eat the eggs?
If a snake ate 15 eggs in a couple days, I would hate to see the size of that snake.
A raccoon found and ate a nest of my duck eggs the day after the chicks started peeping in the shell. I found one scrap of shell. Everything else was just gone.
Rats will take eggs and chicks. Lots of predators would take those eggs and leave no trace.
Snakes will take eggs out from under the hen as they get hungry so that the nest is empty by the time you would have had chicks. I have caught them doing it. A raccoon could. But also would have easily taken the hen too
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Homesteading Forum
6.1M posts
74.7K members
Since 2002
A forum community dedicated to living sustainably and self sufficiently. Come join the discussion about livestock, farming, gardening, DIY projects, hobbies, recipes, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!