What type nesting material for broody hen? - She keeps breaking eggs!

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ArizonaDesertChicks

ArizonaDesertChicks

Eggstactic for Pretty Eggs
15 Years
Dec 8, 2008
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Glendale, AZ
We started with 10 eggs - dog took 3, broody just broke her 4th (the other 3 were cracked, but cracked too badly too make it) - now we're down to 3 eggs - all are developing nicely and have 9 days to go.

I'm sure she is accidently breaking her eggs - she never eats them and I candled a cracked egg two days ago and the chick was still alive and moving.

Her box is filled with pine shavings and has a towel underneath the shavings. She is separate from all the other hens - she can see and hear them, but they can't access her nest (see below for set-up). She always kicks the shavings away so that the eggs are all touching each other. I'm not sure whether she is stepping on them and breaking them or moving them against each other too roughly. This is my first time with a broody hen (and her first time too) - I'd appreciate any advice you can give me.

I have more fertile eggs arriving tomorrow to place under my second broody and I really hope to fix this problem so that she doesn't break hers also.

broodyhen-ladysinwaiting008.jpg
 
You might try cutting a chunk of squishy bathmat or welcome mat to fit the floor of her nest box. That would provide some cushion if she scratches out all the bedding. I use straw, myself, the deeper the better, but they often push it aside down to the bottom of the nest. I build it up, they push it away.

Did you candle your eggs prior to setting them, to look for shell quality? Your shells could be overly porous, or have thin spots, making them break more easily than they should.
 
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There was a towel under the shavings and I added another layer underneath tonight, but my guess is that they might be hitting each other when she turns them? She will not leave the shavings mixed with the eggs - just like you, I build it up and then she pushes them away.

The first cracked egg had a small circle cracked in it - I tried putting glue on it, but the next day it was crushed. About a week later, there were two eggs damaged - one completely broke and the other cracked again. Today, two days after the last incident I found an egg completely broke - chick was still inside the membrane. With 9 days left, the odds don't look good.

This is my first time trying to hatch eggs and with candling.
I candled them the first time at about 3 days along and I do remember at least one shell looking porous, but the green eggs & the welsummer eggs were too hard to see through at that time (there were only 3 light brown eggs). I knew what a porous egg looked like (thanks to the internet), but planned on leaving them anyway so I didn't take much note of how many of the 3 were porous - I did see the red veins on all 3 (being new to this, the veins were the only thing I was really looking for). I know the fertility rate on these eggs is excellent, but I guess there could be a problem with shells.

Since your hens also push away the shavings -do their eggs break also, or is this unusual for a young hen to break so many? She's about 8 months old.
 
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I'm guessing there is about 5 inches of shaving in there, but I don't know that any deeper would help. She moves all the shavings away from the eggs.

Actually, know that I'm thinking of it, maybe if it was a lot deeper, she would not move them all away? But... I don't know where I'd find a nestbox deep enough for the shaving and one that she would still sit in. What kind of box do you have for your broodies that is tall enough to hold 8-10 inches of shavings?
 
Maybe shes pushing the shavings away because she is hot. I had a broody in the main coop separated too. I picked her up a few times and her bare belly was moist. She broke a few of her eggs as well. An old farmer told me if they break the eggs they need the calicum Are you sure shes eating. I fianlly gave up on my broody. I tried moving her to another cooler area and she freaked and left the eggs. When I candled them they were not viable anyway. I live in Florida Someone on here mentioned she uses spanish moss for her nest boxes and I am now trying that.It sure is soft.
 
I personally would use straw with a little DE and i would always have oyster shells available for the calcium.
 
Get a 25Litre plastic drum. I think that's 6.5 US gallons
31680_25litredrum.jpg


Measure up 5 '' from the bottom and cut a hole in the front.

Fill the base with fine straw.

Now you've got a nest with its own carry case.
 
Seem to me you don't need that cat litter pan, couldn't you just stuff that dog carrier with straw? Straw would be a lot harder to push out of the way wouldn't it? I need to know these things before I get to that bridge. It's not possible to cross a bridge before you get to it, but you should at least have a plan on how you intend to cross it.
 
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First, check your hens for mites and lice. Being eaten alive will cause some of them to squirm almost constantly and eggs can get cracked as she tries to reduce the torment. I use about 5 or 6 inches of pine shavings, and put a good big handful of straw on top of that. They can spend a lot of time fiddling with the straw and seem to ignore the shavings for the most part. What breed of hen is it? Some of the feather footed breeds, especially when young, will have problems "boosting" eggs with the feathers on their legs. Don't forget, your idea of the perfect nest may not exactly match the hen's idea. Young and first time broodies will have more problems as a rule than an old experienced one. There is only one way for them to learn. Finally, don't know what the purpose of the bottom in the little cage is. Hens need to stretch their legs as much as possible in the brief time they are off each day. Scratching around in the dirt will help, especially if they are in an undersized cage. Move the feed and water as far from the nest as the little cage will allow so she must at least take a few steps to eat and drink. Just some of my ideas.

Jim
 

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