# Mystery of disappearing eggs SOLVED!!!



## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

At times, it seemed as though our chickens were hardly laying, then others laying very well. We hadn't considered anything taking their eggs since they had an electric mesh fence, their faithful protector (Sam our dog), two very good hunting cats to keep vermin down, and a well built chicken house...

Today, DH went out to get the eggs, only to find one broken on the floor of the chicken house. While he was out there, our nearest neighbor saw him, and came over to speak with him. He told DH he had seen 2 Ravens flying off with eggs (?!!!) just yesterday and tried to shoot one down (he is a retired LEO). Turns out, they were just walking right in through the chicken door, flying up to the nesting boxes, snatching eggs, then exiting the way they came in, flying off with their bounty. We might have seen this had we spent any time just watching (too busy working around our property and our businesses, as we are self-employed...). Yep, we will be making time now!

Dern evil Ravens...:grumble:


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

Wow, those are some bold birds.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Pretty poultry assortment.


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## maxbetta (May 6, 2013)

Ravens? Wow. That is not what I was expecting


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

Wow! Ravens... who'd-a thought?


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## SCRancher (Jan 11, 2011)

I would rather have ravens then what I always seem to find. Black Snakes - 2 so far this year each caught in the nesting box with an egg already 2-4 inches down. The first one was about 5 feet long, the second was only 4 feet long.

I just haul them several miles away and let them go.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

About 3 years ago, my duck egg production went from 12 a day to 0 and I was baffled... I did some internet research and connected the dots - we had a huge raven hanging around. We put bird netting over the top of the chain link kennel the ducks were in. The next day we had all our eggs and one very angry raven bouncing on the netting! It tried again for a few days and even now comes by and checks it out. I suspected raven right off! I figure it had a nest and was feeding babies on our duck eggs. They can be very bold.


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## maxbetta (May 6, 2013)

GrannyCarol said:


> About 3 years ago, my duck egg production went from 12 a day to 0 and I was baffled... I did some internet research and connected the dots - we had a huge raven hanging around. We put bird netting over the top of the chain link kennel the ducks were in. The next day we had all our eggs and one very angry raven bouncing on the netting! It tried again for a few days and even now comes by and checks it out. I suspected raven right off! I figure it had a nest and was feeding babies on our duck eggs. They can be very bold.


Ha ha, the angry raven bouncing on the netting made me laugh. How dare you shut down his buffet?


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

How do they carry the eggs? In their mouths? Crazy!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Made me laugh too, but he or she was too greedy - ALL the eggs was just too much. I wouldn't have minded a couple here and there. 

I never saw the raven steal any eggs, but looked it up online. Apparently they can carry them in their beak.


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

I had to see this myself. Here's a clip on YouTube.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWJ2RCCjfco[/ame]

I have to wonder how often they drop the eggs - they don't look easy to pick up let alone carry!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

The ravens used my pasture as a drop place for the eggs from my neighbor's coop. They always dropped then then turned around to land and eat them. I used to find eggshells daily- until the neighbor gave up on chickens.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

There were a few empty shells in our yard outside of the duck runs (old chain link kennels), but I think most of them must have gone where ever the nest was. What amazed me is that our large breed ducks lay eggs twice as big as a large chicken egg! That is a huge raven though. I find if I want to feed a raw duck egg to my dog, I have to crack it on something hard before I toss it in her part of the yard, they are HARD compared to chicken eggs.


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## defenestrate (Aug 23, 2005)

Are ravens protected in your area? My immediate reaction probably involves an acronym that of pronounced phonetically might be taken as the sound an anthropomorphic snake would make..


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## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

Ravens here are devastating the dove and robin nests. Hiss is right(Haha)


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Ravens are very smart birds. They do learn. My dad caught one of a pair one time. He tethered it for a few days (he left food & water) and didnt torture it but make sure it knew NOT to come back & it didnt. The partner was up in the tree & watch, they both never came back when he let the other go. If you cant kill them off, be very creative in protecting the birds to make sure you can get an edge on the ravens.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

DH and the neighbor will likely dispatch the ravens. Our chicken house has a sliding door, so DH shut them in a little longer (has food/water inside for that). Then, he gathers the eggs before he lets them out & will gather more frequently (I will also). When the ravens are caught in the act...bye bye birdies.


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

Sounds like you have a good plan thought out. Bet it will work. Even after you collect all the eggs then let them out, if the ravens come & find no eggs after a while, they might just move on.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

WstTxLady said:


> Sounds like you have a good plan thought out. Bet it will work. Even after you collect all the eggs then let them out, if the ravens come & find no eggs after a while, they might just move on.


I'd rather the ravens lose interest than suffer harm. So far it is working out very well and the chickens don't seem to mind. No sign of the ravens in two days now.


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