No Rooster - Broody Hen - Lots of egg...

[AlaskaGrown]

I recently went on vacation and the folks watching the chickens sent word that one of the hens went missing. I figure that a hawk or eagle got the hen while they were in the yard. A few days after I returned I found the missing hen sitting on 14 eggs on the back edge of our property! I was able to get her off the eggs. I do not have a rooster and wasn't concerned with any actually hatching. I have 2 questions.

1. Should I discard the eggs or are they still suitable for eating?

2. Is there anything that I should do to "break" the hen of this habit? All that I have done is corralled her back into the coop at night and made sure that she is eating and drinking.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The eggs are probably fine. I went on a week vacation without broody but ate our eggs in nest box on return. Temp was not 99F like yours but in the mid 80's to 90F during days. If your hesitant then smash them up shells and all in a bowl and feed back to your flock.

The best way to break a broody is to put them in a small cage kennel or something of that like for three days. Without nesting material and cage bottom off ground so air flows under them. She'll still take a few weeks to come back into laying but always had them break and act normal in two to three days.