Chickens are prey animals, and it seems like just about every predator has a palette for chickens or eggs. Keeping your backyard flock safe can seem daunting. However, learning how to recognize common chicken predators, knowing how they are most likely to attack, and implementing the best prevention measures for common predators in your area will help keep your flock safe.
Raising chickens can be an extremely rewarding experience. Collecting fresh eggs every morning gives you a sense of accomplishment and provides a steady supply of nutritious food. However, nothing is more frustrating than going out to the coop and finding your nests raided and eggs stolen.
If you’ve ever wondered “What animal is stealing my chicken eggs?” you’re not alone. In this comprehensive guide we’ll outline the most common egg thieves you need to watch out for and provide tips on how to protect your flock’s eggs.
The Top Egg-Eating Predators
A lot of animals love tasty chicken eggs and will sneak into your coop whenever they can to get one for free. Here are the most notorious egg bandits:
1. Raccoons
Raccoons are perhaps the #1 chicken egg thief. Raccoons can easily break into a coop because their claws are so quick and their faces look like masks worn by thieves. Most of the time, they break into nests at night, when the hens are asleep. Raccoons are stubborn and smart, and they can open locks, break through weak spots in coops, and get out of them. Once they get in, a single raccoon can eat more than a dozen eggs in one night.
2. Opossums
Sneaky opossums are another major egg stealing culprit. As nocturnal opportunistic omnivores, they will eat anything they can find, including freshly laid chicken eggs. Opossums are great climbers and can scale fences or squeeze into small openings. They use their dexterous paws to gently pry open nest boxes and lick out the insides of eggs, leaving just empty shells behind. An opossum’s appetite for eggs increases in spring and summer when feeding their young.
3. Snakes
Rat snakes, racers, kingsnakes, and gopher snakes are just a few of the snakes that are known to break into chicken coops and eat eggs. These quick-moving snakes are good at climbing and can get to their nesting boxes at any time of day or night. Snakes have a strong sense of smell that helps them find nests, and they can swallow eggs whole.
4. Skunks
Skunks are omnivores, which means they will eat many things. They will even eat chicken eggs. They crack eggs in nests or buried in the ground with their long claws and snouts. Skunks attack at night and are hungry, especially in the spring when they need to feed their young. Their boldness and tenacity make them difficult to deter.
5. Crows
Intelligent crows are brazen daytime egg thieves. They keep an eye on chicken activity then make their move when the moment is right. Crows swoop down, quickly grab eggs in their beaks, and take off. They often work in groups with one crow distracting the hens while the others steal eggs. Their adaptability and boldness make them difficult to discourage.
6. Rodents
Mice, rats, voles, and squirrels are constant egg bandits. They can chew into coops or sneak through tiny openings. Once inside, they will readily devour every egg in sight, peel away the shells and carry off their prize. Rodents are quick and prolific breeders so just a few can turn into a major infestation without control measures.
Steps to Protect Eggs from Predators
Fortifying your coop is crucial to protect eggs against predators. Here are some key tips:
-
Use 1/4 inch hardware cloth to cover all vents, openings, and gaps in the coop. Bury fencing 1-2 feet underground to prevent digging.
-
Install predator-proof latches, locks, and reinforce doors. Automatic coop door openers provide added security.
-
Clear brush and debris around the coop to eliminate hideouts for sneaky thieves.
-
Use motion sensor lights, sounds, or sprinklers to startle and scare nocturnal prowlers.
-
Collect eggs frequently during the day. Don’t leave any overnight.
-
Place fake eggs or golf balls in nests to discourage raids.
-
Use welded wire fencing on the full coop and run areas to prevent entry.
-
Consider adding guard animals like dogs, donkeys or llamas that will intimidate predators.
Diligence and persistence are required to outsmart those egg lovers. But taking the proper coop fortification steps will go a long way toward protecting your flock’s precious eggs. Always be on the lookout for signs of attempted break-ins and maintain top-notch coop security. With some smart prevention tactics, you can foil those thieving critters and keep your egg basket full!
# Weasel Family: Fishers, Mink, Weasels
The weasel family includes fisher cats, mink, and weasels who will all prey on chickens if given the chance. These predators will often attack repeatably and take out as many birds as they can for sport.
They are weasels, and you can often find them near bodies of water like lakes and rivers. You can identify a fisher cat attack as they often target the head and neck region of a chicken.
Minks are also common near water sources and they sometimes leave behind a musky scent at the scene of attack. They too will bite the head and back of the neck of a bird and will sometimes pile up their kill after an attack. Their tracks are small and resemble paw prints.
Weasels are notorious for being able to sneak through small spaces, even cracks as small as a quarter of an inch! They target the head, back of the neck, and sometimes will eat around the vent of birds they kill. Weasel tracks look like small paw prints with pointy toes.
Racoons are a widespread chicken predator and very well could be one of the most common chicken predators you’ll deal with. Racoons usually kill several birds per visit, however, they will often spread out their attacks by visiting every four to five nights. If the animal is small enough, they will often take it with them. They look for the head and crop of a chicken.
Racoons can be very persistent. They are good climbers, good diggers, can figure out simple latches and door handles, and are known to injure birds through fencing.
Racoon tracks are identified by the hindfeet tracks being longer than the front feet tracks.
Opossums are also one of the most common chicken predators, usually targeting one bird per visit. They are known to bite at the legs and breast of the bird and eat the abdomen and vent of their kill. Opossums typically feast onsite rather than carry off their kill. Opossum tracks are identified by the hindfoot track having a distinct ‘thumb’ that sticks away from the rest of the track and by a ‘tail trail’ that accompanies the tracks (where the opossum’s tail brushes the ground as it walks).
Snakes rarely target mature chickens but they will prey on young chicks and eggs. They can sometimes be found resting in nesting boxes after swallowing an egg whole. Snakes can get into your chicken coop through the ground, mud, or sand. Look for “slither paths” in these areas to find out how the snake got in.
To prevent snakes from stealing young chicks, raise chicks in an indoor brooder until they are old enough to be moved out to the coop. Usually once the chicks are fully feathered and no longer need an external heat source, they are too big for most snakes to swallow whole.
Like snakes, rats are rarely a huge threat to adult birds, although they bite the hocks of roosted birds and sometimes pluck feathers from adult birds. Rats mostly target prey their size, namely young chicks and eggs. They take their prey whole and will leave little evidence of their attack. Signs of rat activity in the hen house include large, mouse-like droppings and tracks with a tail trail. Raise chicks in an indoor brooder to keep them safe from rats.
While bears don’t often target small prey like chickens, they won’t pass up an opportunity for a chicken meal especially if they are very hungry. Black bears are the most likely species of bear to attack a flock since they adapt to living around human populations very easily. Bears usually wipe out a flock, sometimes carrying off their kill and to feast away from the scene.
Characteristics of a bear attack include damage to the chicken coop and enclosure and large bear tracks with claw marks around the scene of attack.
# Felines: Domestic Cats & Bobcats
Not only can domestic dogs be dangerous to backyard flocks, but domestic cats can also pose a threat. Domestic cats usually only target smaller chickens, like young chicks or bantams. Sometimes domestic cats will carry off their kill and some cats will kill to eat. Skin, feathers, and even whole wings may be left at the sight of a cat attack. Domestic cat tracks are also characterized by perfect stepping, however, unlike coyotes and foxes, there will be no claw marks with the tracks since cats retract their claws when walking.
Bobcats are a wild feline to be aware of, especially in rural or sometimes even suburban areas. Bobcats usually take one to two birds per visit and will repeatably visit successful hunting grounds. They usually carry of their kill to eat and leave very little evidence behind. Bobcat tracks are larger than domestic cat tracks and they too will show no claw marks.
What is stealing chicken eggs?
FAQ
What could be stealing my chicken eggs?
Snakes, large rats, maybe young raccoons or skunks? Even other birds like crows will go for eggs. Some of those would be more likely to take the whole egg (raccoons and snakes especially) but others would probably leave a mess, at least sometimes.
What animal steals whole chicken eggs?
Rats mostly target prey their size, namely young chicks and eggs. They take their prey whole and will leave little evidence of their attack. Signs of rat activity in the hen house include large, mouse-like droppings and tracks with a tail trail.
Why are my chicken eggs disappearing?
Extreme temperatures of late summer and mid-winter darkness can trigger a lapse in egg production. Also, a hen’s feather molt in late fall can also be a reason she will lay less. However, if one day you are getting lots of eggs, and the next you have almost none in the nesting box, you might have an outside culprit.
How do I tell what is eating my chicken eggs?
Predators such as snakes, skunks, rats, weasels, and others will eat eggs and leave egg residue, which can cause your flock to develop a taste for eggs, too. If your hens are eating eggs, they will usually have dried yolk on their beaks and sides of their heads.