17 fertile ready to hatch eggs missing from under broody

[BlueEngineFarm]

So, no chicks, no shells, no eggs, no signs of anything. The broody hen left the nest between 9pm last night and 7:30am this morning. Now we were late in going to the coop. She was brooding with the flock. At last candling, eggs were completly black except for air sac. Two days ago I heard pecking and my husband saw an egg moving. There were three eggs still in the nest but buried. Two I put into the incubator, one was clear so I tossed it. What happened? Anybody know- total mystery to us.
Lynne
Oh want to thank you all for helping me get started 6 years ago- some of those hens are still with us.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Hen probably ate them. My hen was caught in the act...eggs kept vanishing starting from day 18 on and I stayed in the coop for a while becasue I heard peeping and one was pipped. As the one started to zip the hen tore into it and pulled the poor baby from it's shell and tried eating it

I grabbed it away and it's now just fine but had a bloody back for a while. I didn't think she would make it but she did. The other hens were also grabbing them out as they hatched and eating them

I managed to save three babies out of eight.

 

[Bleenie]

Maybe a rat or something? snake? depending on where you are.

I had a cochin hen do this to me a few months ago, the whole nest dissappeared. and i know i donts have coop critters, except for tiny little, feed stealing mice.

 

[mulia24]

you lost 17 eggs? rat eating them or what? how that can happen?

i'm sorry to hear that.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

BTW mine were eating shell and all and there was nothing left in the nest box...if I hadn't seen this I would have not believed it either. I thought there would be some sign of the shell at least.

 

[Bleenie]

Hangin....

thats horrible, i would have rung those hens necks if i would have caught them, at least i would have wanted to.

some animals are so stupid.

 

[mulia24]

Quote:
wew, cannibalism. i will cook the hens if that's me suffering those hens' act or never let them be a mom again, just use incubator later.

 

[bloomnbeauty]

I just found a snake UNDER the nest bucket waiting for the eggs to hatch. Luckily I found it as the babies were hatching!

 

[Bleenie]

Oh heck no! i would have been so out of there & looking for the biggest, longest grabby-thing i could find to move that nastiness and KILL IT.

or maybe just bring in the axe? i hate snakes, i'm SO glad we don't have them in this part of WA.

 

[BlueEngineFarm]

I do have some egg eaters in there and did see the post about them eating the babies. I just thought they would'nt get the bone/beak/legs- that there would be something left? We had one chick hatch a week ago that nothing happened to. He's in the house in a brooder. I haven't seen any rats- have a good mouse cat. And if it was a snake after all that food wouldn't it have needed to rest?
So I'll chock it up to those nasty hens that spoiled my eggs last time- they dirtied them and I saw them eat the eggs. Just not as they hatched! ugh. We have 170 eggs in a refridgerator incubator that are about 2 weeks along. Just a prayin' for them. My poor broody- this morning she walked around clucking as she ate and puffed herself all up for her chicks that aren't there. Now she's already trying to sit again. I could move her and give her some of the incubator eggs but should I?
Lynne