Caught a Thief

[LDennis24]

Feathered type.

Built a chicken coop and stocked it with 7 hens.

Man door to the run outside with a 12" by 18" chicken door at the bottom of the man door, hinged at the top so I could close the chicken door if needed.

Three nesting boxes inside the coop.  Put a ceramic dummy egg in each to encourage laying.  Left the man door open.

Two days later the cereamic eggs are gone.

Put three more ceramic eggs in the boxes, closed the man door, opened the chicken door.

One day later the three ceramic eggs are gone.

Hmm.   Cannot be racoons, skunks, or possums, the three big guard dogs sleep next to the coop.

So, set up the trail cam and put two real eggs in the boxes.   Ceramic eggs are $3.00 each.    Real eggs are cheaper.

One egg gone this morning, the second egg gone just after noon.

Pulled the trail cam card and guess what:



Note the egg shell in the feeder.

There are several more photos of big black bird, one with egg in beak, but it is real dim.   


So now it is off the the feed store for plastic bird mesh to hang across the 6 foot high fencing of the run.

#&$+! Ravens!
I like Ravens so I leave them alone. However I have chickens as well and the Ravens are a very early bird. They get up and start hunting at first light and if they find your coop they will return every morning until you stop them. They're very smart! I have enough eggs and chickens that I don't care if they steal 1-2 a day.

[Woodhunter]

Caught him back by the nesting boxes with egg in beak.    Sneaky guys!!!

Put the netting over the pen yesterday.   Should have eggs for me now, not the birds.