Chook eating eggs/unborn chicks due any day! Help!

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ggibb83

ggibb83

Hatching
5 Years
Nov 17, 2014
4
0
7
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
I'm new to chickens, and this site!
I have 3 chooks, one has been broody so I popped some fertilized eggs underneath as a bit of a trial, we have friends with a farm who want chicks, and we're going to try our luck!
Chicks are due to hatch this week, today I arrived home from the shops to the chooks going crazy and the dog very excited. I popped my head in and saw my broody hen, Lacey, eating an egg/unborn chick. On further inspection I can see a few broken egg shells, a couple of eggs missing.
This is Tuesday, on Friday I noticed Lacey sitting on a different nesting box with just one egg in it, and her clutch was cold. So I pretty much have up hope then, but since then she's back on the nest.
My theory is that they were dead, so she's eating them (natural instinct?) or she's just a crazy cannibal.... Anyone else have a similar problem?
I'm thinking I'll grab an incubator next time!
 
Sometimes they do that. Hard to say whether the eggs were duds and that was the reason she ate them. They will eat dud eggs. But some hens just do it anyway. Try another broody next time, unless the one you mentioned is setting on her own eggs. Ot use an incubator, like you said.
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Hens have natural instincts. Something was probably wrong with the clutch. They either weren't fertile, had died or were rotten.

As far as her eating them, you need to break this habit. Make sure she has lots of calcium. Hens often eat eggs since the shells are filled with calcium which they are lacking. An eggshell is about 94% calcium which has to come from the hen's body. So either provide crushed, rinsed eggshells or oyster shell for the calcium required for laying hens.
Here is a link on stopping hens from eating their eggs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater

Good luck!
 
Thanks for your reassurance that I don't just have cannabilism in my coop.... I have popped back in, and have noticed the chick is still intact, so possibly died whilst hatching and mum was eating the egg around the chick?

Will see what the next couple of days bring!
 
Sorry you had to experience this. Chickens are cannibalistic at times. Eat eating tends to be a habit the other chickens will pick up, so keep on any on them.

Welcome to the BYC flock, we also have an excellent aussie thread "Australia, six states and one funny little island," if you want to see what others are up to.
 
welcome-byc.gif
Glad you joined us!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


So sorry about your hatch. It is very possible something went wrong and she did start to consume them. Either that or another hen got in to her nest and started breaking the eggs and causing trouble. Then of course the chaos started. Next time you have a broody on eggs, separate her from the others with a fence, wire or what ever it takes to keep other birds out of her area. Of course put out some water and feed for her. Make sure the lip on your nest box is high enough that eggs or chicks don't come rolling or falling out.

Welcome to our flock!
 

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