2 dead in 2 days

[debiJae]

They're doing Great!

 

[NatJ]

I have a hen who's been Broody for MONTHS. Every time she gets close to hatching an egg , she leaves and someone else becomes a mom! This has happened 3 times in the past year.

2 were broken within the last 2 weeks and absorbed or eaten , but i contribute this to Her(momma) being in the favorite nesting box and others wanting to lay in it and fight for the spot and sometimes just sitting on top of her.

I know I'm a bit late to respond, but if this hen goes broody again:

I suggest you move her to a different nest, where the other hens cannot come to lay eggs. The new nest could be in a separate pen, a divided-off part of the main pen, a dog kennel, or any other place that would be safe for her to sit and the chicks to hatch. (Or find a way to block the favorite nest, so she is inside and can come out to eat/drink/poop, but the other hens cannot get in.)

When you move the hen, give her some fake eggs for a day or two. Some hens will be happy to sit in a new place, some hens will pace around and fuss but then settle down, and I've had one hen that paced back and forth for 3 days in the new spot and entirely quit being broody. You don't want real eggs getting cold or stepped on while you see how she reacts.

When you move the hen, while you're waiting to see if she settles in the right place, you can be collecting the eggs you want her to hatch. Then put those real eggs under her all at the same time. That way the chicks should all hatch on the same day, not spread out over several different days.

It sounds to me like the other hens were a bit part of the problem this time, so separating the hen can avoid that in the future