Oops........broody BO had eaten her food(her bowl was full 3 days ago)

[chickchoon1]

and I fixed up a snack for her and she attacked it(very hungry for a bird that for the first 15 days of brood had not eaten) and thats when I noticed her previous 12 eggs was now 10 eggs so she obviously ate 2. Shes in a small closed in area so critters couldn't have eaten them. I am a bad mommy and will now check her food daily and I worry for remaining eggs, though. Argh.

 

[campingshaws]

The eggs were totally gone? Not just rolled from the nest? It's very possible that a snake or rat could have gotten into the nest. Did you find shell pieces or yolk residue?

I give my broodies a personal jar feeder of chick starter and water with probiotics and electrolytes. Being broody is very hard on their bodies. I also check 2-3 times a day to clean out the poop and check the jars, because sometimes they tip.

Good luck with your eggs! Have you candled them at all?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

She could move around and stand up but has never appeared to want to move at all(except for the eating episodes and she appears to not be eating again) and am planning to move her to the area where chicks would be raised after hatch(I will just move her AND eggs there earlier than planned) Lifted her up yesterday and still has 10.

How much space, exactly, does she have? The first line, and your description in a previous post, reads like she has room to stand up and turn around and that's it. If that is the case, your broody needs more room that that - the lack of room is likely a contributing factor to her lack of eating and possibly also the issue of the egg eating. A broody hen needs to have the option to get off her nest, move away from it, expel her waste, get feed and water and then return to the nest to continue setting.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Im not even sure how to respond to this. Have you not fed her for the 15 days she was on her eggs ? Am i reading wrong ?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Chickens need at least half a cup a day of chicken food. fresh water at all times and I do check them every day. broodys come off to eat every day. you may not see that happen but they do.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

and I fixed up a snack for her and she attacked it(very hungry for a bird that for the first 15 days of brood had not eaten) and thats when I noticed her previous 12 eggs was now 10 eggs so she obviously ate 2. Shes in a small closed in area so critters couldn't have eaten them. I am a bad mommy and will now check her food daily and I worry for remaining eggs, though. Argh.

How often do you normally check on your birds?

 

[chickchoon1]

I collect eggs in this area several times a day and have soooo much else to do had not checked on her(shes behind a towel with netting over her small area) other than to move towel and speak to her and reach thru to touch so YES it was very negligent of me.I filled her bowl up with more "treat"food yesterday(even though she had plenty of crumbles still in her bowl) and as of this a.m. she hadn't touched that. I am just worried she may be a touch unpredictable and I have no other broody(or incubator-can't buy such a thing) to take over. Hatches are due mothers day so I will say a prayer.

 

[chickchoon1]

Just noted my original message says "bowl was full 3 days ago" so obviously I had checked her bowl 3 days prior(and I admit to negligence for that 3 day period) but for the first few days she had NOT eaten/drank so thats probably why I managed to neglect her. Have a ton of things distracting me and she is at top of list to check EVERY morning now and through-out the day. Am worried that she may do something unexpected(eat more eggs) even though I am checking her often. Haven't purposefully moved her since the egg-eating was noticed so I will move her later to take note.

 

[chickchoon1]

The eggs were totally gone? Not just rolled from the nest? It's very possible that a snake or rat could have gotten into the nest. Did you find shell pieces or yolk residue?

I give my broodies a personal jar feeder of chick starter and water with probiotics and electrolytes. Being broody is very hard on their bodies. I also check 2-3 times a day to clean out the poop and check the jars, because sometimes they tip.

Good luck with your eggs! Have you candled them at all?

Possible but very doubtful.And given her foodbowl was full for days(I had checked her bowl 3 days prior and it was FULL) but when I checked on her 3 days later(very NEGLIGENTLY 3 days later) she had eaten all and PLUS the 2 eggs were gone I have learned, the hard way, that they do sometimes pick up their eating.There was sticky egg residue everywhere so I am almost positive she broke/ate them. I am not really looking for answers and will get seriously beat up by some(understandably...well...somewhat understandably...people are ignorant of all I have/am experiencing) but am just venting my concerns on her behavior until hatchtime.She is in a converted dresser(drawers removed-she is top ex-drawer which is appx 2'x1'x1' tall) with firm 3/3" netting nailed over front. I am able to stretch netting off daily to refuel her,etc then stretch it over nails again. Main concern was other chickens bothering her and her escaping.Haven't candled as I am just letting whatever comes come unknown. I know its best to remove unviable but thats a ton of work(from my past ignorant experience) and given I had a 4 lb. SF hatch 10 on her own I felt there was enough room for a 6 lb bird to do this OK.

 

[aart]

Does she have enough room to get off the nest, stretch her legs and poop?