OK, here's the scoop: last night there were two artificial eggs in the nest box--this morning when we went to check for eggs there was one!! Something got a fake egg and made off with it! We've known that something was eating eggs, because we've found cracked shells around the outside of the henhouse, but we didn't know if it was the hens themselves or if they were laying eggs on the ground and our dachshund eating them (he has a history of egg stealing :o). So here's my question--I figure only a snake would get an egg out of the nest box and make off with it, or? Does anyone know? Would a snake really swallow the whole thing and not suspect it wasn't real? I'm just mystified. Thanks in advance for any insight, Elizabeth

-- Elizabeth Price (kimprice@peoplescom.net), September 08, 2000

Answers

Did you find a rubber snake nearby?

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), September 08, 2000.

Joe, good answer!

Maybe a rat carried it off for a treasure? Snakes usually don't leave eggshells behind.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), September 08, 2000.

Snakes will indeed eat nest eggs. Several months ago I killed a snake that had two nest eggs inside it. I guess maybe the nest eggs smelled or tasted or whatever like real eggs from laying in the nest.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), September 08, 2000.

Talk about indigestion for the snake! Or could the weiner dog have gotten it and just hidden it? We have had that happen. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), September 08, 2000.

When I was a child, my Grandpa killed a big chicken snake that had a lump in it. He cut it open and it had a white porcelan door knob in it! I guess it thought it was swallowing an egg. Mona Lea

-- Mona Lea (monalea@hotmail.com), September 08, 2000.

Elizabeth, You 'betcha snakes will swallow eggs whole. I have been getting rid of egg-eating snakes for years by blowing the contents of an egg out, filling it with insectide and leaving it where the offending reptile can find it. I seldom find the snake but the eggs don't disappear until another critter starts the whole thing over. This trick won't work on raccoons, etc. because they break the egg before they eat it.

-- john and pat james (jjames@n-jcenter.com), September 08, 2000.

bsides looking for the rubber snake i guess we could say the yoke wasn't on him. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), September 09, 2000.

Gail, what a fine eggsample of a pun. I'm all cracked up. You should all be seperated, whipped and beaten. (Perhaps we should have our heads candled to check for viable contents!!)

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), September 10, 2000.

Boy! What ROTTEN comments! hahaha. I'm really cacklin up over those responses- so bad that my arm-lett needs to catchup onit. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), September 10, 2000.

I've blown out the egg and filled it with salt, and covered the hole with tape to take care of egg eating snakes. We did this on two occasions and the eggs dissapeared and frsh eggs stopped dissapearing after that.

-- Bruce Burdge (burdgebruce@richmond.com), September 13, 2000.

Thanks all for your responses. We found the culprit this morning, and I still can't believe it! Our 5 yo son was walking by the henhouse this morning, happened to glance in, and saw Zack, the dachshund, jumping up and grabbing an egg out of the nest (about 36" high)! I would never have thought that possible! No wonder Zack has been so fat and sleek all summer; he has really been looking healthy! Thanks again, Elizabeth

-- Elizabeth Price (kimprice@peoplescom.net), September 13, 2000.

Wow! I have had 26 ceramic eggs come up missing this summer,as well as most of my guinea eggs when the ceramic eggs ran out. :-( I can't figure what is getting them!! The pen has buried fencing, 7 ft high, chicken wire 1 inch at the bottom, 2 inch at the top. (hole size)When do ducks begin to lay? I bought them day old May 3, 2000.

Cindy

-- Cindy Cluck (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), September 22, 2000.