Case of the Missing Eggs

We need video surveillance in our chicken coop. Egg production has dropped--or perhaps more accurately--eggs are [dramatic pause] missing!

We've gone from collecting 8~10 eggs a day to some days only 3. I had thought that our chickens were beginning to molt, but there is no sign of missing feathers on our birds (save a few spots where RB seems to be particularly rough).

{When chickens molt (lose their feathers) at about 12 to 15 months of age, egg production drops as their bodies use the protein to create newer stronger feathers}

Are the chickens eating their eggs?

Could be. We did see evidence of this throughout the winter, occasionally. But that was when they were cooped up (get it--"coop"ed up, heh, heh). Now they are free to roam all around for yummy things to eat. I can't imagine they would be eating even more of their eggs this time of year.

Are they laying outside?

Maybe. But we still get eggs in the coop, so it's hard to say.

But the most daring theory of all:

Are the dogs eating them?

Even worse~ is Tippy, the best dog in the whole world, eating our chicken eggs??

Spotters I could believe. He just has bad manners.

But Tippy?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The evidence may point directly to her:

She can access the chicken coop from the chicken door.
She doesn't seem all that interested in her dog food most of the time.
She has very stinky farts.

Okay, scratch that last. So does Spotters.

In fact...


Well, nevermind.

And crucially:
Tippy was nosing around the nesting boxes last night while HE was modifying our coop to accommodate the chicks (more on that later).
And~perhaps most damning of all~HE saw 3 eggs in the nesting boxes when he began his re-modeling...

[dramatic pause]

...NONE when he was finished!!

Dun, dun, dun, dun!


[sorry--I'm still in theater mode]

Tippy, the egg thief.

Say it isn't so.....