what to do about broody hen eating her fertilized eggs?

[brownie]

I like the golf ball idea!!

 

[suebee]

Sorry, disagree. Why let her continue to be broody with golf balls if she's not a good broody? I'd let her sit on nothing but air and not use her again.

 

[brownie]

Well, I took the hen off the eggs and let the other hen take over!! Not sure if this was the right thing to do or not but so far so good. The hen and eggs are separated from the other hens so there's no chance of a fight happening. Again I'm new at this so just experimenting! Hope it works! Who knows, maybe all the eggs are rotting; should get an egg candler?

 

[brownie]

By the way, I probably wouldn't do the golf ball thing either. No offence, but it seems kind of unfair to me to fool the hen.

 

[Beekissed]

A hen will remove/eat an egg that is not developing...don't know how they know, maybe no movement? This is far better than a broody that sits on rotten eggs, believe me.

I don't know that any other smell will ever measure up to a 22-24 day old, heated, rotten egg.

I'd keep her.....get her a chick from TSC and let her raise it. Place it under her at night, under cover of the darkness and see how it goes.

 

[brownie]

Good advice, thanks! I will keep her.

 

[Judys Brood]

I have the same problem with my broody hen. She started out fine and for about 12 days didn't bother her eggs. Setting on 10 eggs and she is now down to 7. I gave her the eggs on the 11th but she really didn't start staying on them until the 12th . So she has about 5 days to go. She is getting off the nest at least once a day so should be eating and drinking. There isn't any egg shell or anything in the nest. No other hen is stealing her eggs.

 

[Beekissed]

It's not really a problem as it's perfectly normal and natural, even needed, for her to consume the eggs that are not developing. This keeps her from having a nest full of rotten eggs with the possibility of them getting broken and contaminating the nest for the other chicks.

 

[strangeanimal]

One broody just ate the whole clutch ! I also letted them hatch together ( her and another broody fertile hen ) and now the other hen has seen the other eating the eggs so now she decided to do the same ! ( how can I stop it if I already tried golfballs etc ??
I'm totally new at this but this is going to end up bad because my flock ? all the others are gone including old rooster ( they were old ) so they are what is left of it now , also reason why I decided to have my second broody hatch on the fertile eggs but so she never really hatched like it should , she sat on it , rebuild her nest somewhat , hiding the eggs and now sharing is more fun they say ... what can I do ? I'm not going to be able to hatch the eggs since I'm gonna leave for few weeks so can't candle the eggs , can only give them warmth etc but not candling , is it possible without candling ??

 

[Schickens]

Could also be rats or mice. I've been having that issue. I want to set up traps but afraid my girls will step on it.

We have been using this trap, having a lot of mice in the coop. It worked very well except that they were dead not live in the trap. Not very humane but it kept them from the feed. And the hens could not get into it and be hurt.