17 fertile ready to hatch eggs missing from under broody

[pbjmaker]

I would give her some of the eggs from the bator if she is wanting to sit still. But only after she was seperated from the flock.

 

[lovemychicns]

I had some Speckled Sussex like that. I even was the one to hatch and raise them. I think it's genetics. I purchased 5 delaware chicks, all 7 weeks old. Came home to all 4 of them standing around one of the chicks eating it. At first I just thought this was a random act. The next day I actually saw them hunting the chicks. I got rid of them as fast as I could. I am sorry about your loss. Maybe she is missing some mineral or something in her diet.

Karen

 

[TXmom]

I'm so sorry to hear you lost all your eggs like that. I also just posted about my newly hatched chicks disappearing. I lost 2 chicks yesterday, so I brought my Broody and the two remaining chicks in the house. I'm sure it was the other hens that took the babies...it's heartbreaking.

 

[austinhart123]

Quote:
omg you just described me seeing a snake, they are the only animal im scared of lol

 

[skeeter9]

I think Hangin' is right, 'cause I've had the exacct same thing happen. it's really disturbing that a group of hens would do that, but it happens. It's probably not a predator because the shells are gone, too. The next time my particular hen went broody, I moved her to a secluded area away from the other girls, and all went well, so hopefully you'll have better luck next time!!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I just thought they wouldn't get the bone/beak/legs- that there would be something left?

Nope mine eat whole chippy's too along with frogs and tiny birds if they can catch them. I have the worlds best mouser...she sits at the edge of our property and quickly comes up with a tiny mouse and swallows it right down. They are not allowed to have babies anymore of course...I found a great broody/mommy MY SILKIE!

She is the best so she sits on all the eggs now. AND I keep her away from ALL other hens while she hatches them out too.
From the house I seen the hens fighting over what I THOUGHT was a chippy (they do that all the time) I run down there and here it was one of the chicks

It was horrible but it is a natural thing for them to do...especially these hens who have hat the "motherly instinct" breed out of them. It's not their fault, I just learned a hard lesson to keep the brooding to my silkies or something that did not come from a hatchery (not saying that ALL hatchery hens would do this but most prob will). IF you do give her a few eggs be sure to watch her close. She will do it again if she helped eat the others. No way to tell except to watch her. Good luck!​

 

[BlueEngineFarm]

Thank you all for the help. If I allow a broody I'll watch carefully.
I think I better collect the infertile eggs more often too. Thank you for mentioning the mineral deficiency- I gave them some oyster shells and pick up some sunflower seeds.
So, again, thank you for solving what was a mystery to us.
Lynne

 

[walkswithdog]

Snakes eat eggs whole. Rats roll /carry them off - yes a big egg.

But yeah some hens are carnivorous.

I've NEVER had that here and boy I'd be culling immediately if it did.

I did find a five and a half foot rat snake in the coop the other day - after having magical disappearing eggs for a bit.

Grabbed that sucker by the tail (after checking the head to make sure it wasn't a pit viper) yanked it out of there and with my best softball wind up flung the sucker cartwheeling end over end out of the chicken yard. I didn't scream, kind of proud of that LOL...

Then got the post hole driver and sent it back to God. Not MY chickens and eggs... THEN I freaked out and shook for a bit.

Bad snake year here - found a couple of strangled but too big to swallow chicks as well - grrrr constrictors.

I've been culling the neighborhood snake population a bit tighter after losing about 30 eggs and at least two chicks.