Hi All !! Ozziekate again ,
We live on a property and have a mice problem !!!!! in which we are currently trying to fix , ( any suggestions ???? )
My rubino hen was sitting on 6 eggs , then when i saw her out of the box for a fair while, i looked in and there was no eggs only a half of shell!!
There was nothing else in the box and nothing around under the box !!!! she had been sitting on them religously for around 14 days !!
Was so upset about this !! Do mice steal the eggs ????????
as one of my finches eggs also went missing ??
cheers Ozziekate07
It is most likely rats taking the eggs. Rats and mice are indeed attracted to places where birds are kept. I'm not sure what the solution is ... :-(
It is also possible that the hens are eating their own eggs. Once you have that problem there is not much you can do to solve it - but make sure who the culprit is before you go taking drastic measures!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Soakes is right about mice and birds and also about the hens eating their own eggs. Then you have to consider that snakes are encouraged to hang around where there are mice. Suggest waxy block type baits for mice and rats. They can handle the weather so they are easier to put where your pest etc won't get to them and if you use them in the shed the rodents tend to go outside (apparently for water) and die out there.
See Yez
Trev
We got some waxy type mice blocks today !! thanks for that !!!! If it is the hen eating the eggs do you thing she will always eat them after starting this problem ??, as she sucessfully reared her chicks last season ? cheers Ozzie
S.Larner
most people will say they will always eat their eggs after they start to but my experience is that if you remove the eggs as fast as you can they will stop eating them and after a few weeks you will probably be able to let her sit again, no guarantees but.
See Yez
Trev
Saw on a TV programme that you can make a nesting area where the eggs roll down a chute as the hen gets up...and this gets them away from the hens who are eating them