Yep I have been there. Had a Jersey hen that sat on and crushed the eggs given to her. Like Wynette said some are lousy brooders and given the large size, that doesn't help at all. If she ever went broody again I would place fake eggs under her and give her chicks when hatched in the incubator.New Issue you guys-- I have a true to breed (ie LARGE) hen that is broody again (she was for about 2 weeks last month but another tiny little hen stole her clutch one day and sat tight and hatched out the chicks and is strutting around the chicken yard mothering them, happy as can be)...
One thing I noticed the first time around is broken eggs in the nest -- and again this AM when I discovered she is brooding again the eggs are covered in yolk and straw stuck to them (I brushed them off, like I did last time)...
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Is this common with the Jersey giants d/t their large size-- she is so sweet and really seems to want to be a mother, I hope another hen doesnt swipe her eggs again...
(Long story, I did all sorts of things to try to get the broody and eggs into a dog crate for privacy but she would NOT set on the eggs and would return to the nest box in the coop... The chicks hatched out fine, I would probably have 6 chicks instead of the 4 that made it to hatch if I had been successful moving the hen, but Oh well, they are well integrated into the flock.....
SO here it is a month later... and that same hen... is back Broody again , in a nest box.... We leave town tonight for 4 days....)....