i've got a section of my coop closed off as an isolation room. i've been using it for broody hens for the past several weeks. the first hen that went broody was my little Silkie and she pulled off hatching 6/7 eggs with not a single problem (7 was a dud). the day i moved her to the house for her hatch, i put two of my Buff Orps who were broody in the room with some eggs. over the next week, i found 3 broken eggs. the first was out on the floor, cracked but still had goo in it. the next two i found as completely empty egg shells IN the nest boxes, being sat on. i assumed something (probably a rat) was getting in and eating them... so i moved the broodies to the house a week ago where they'd be safer. that seemed to solve my broken egg problem. i went down this morning to feed and check on them. the hatch should start tomorrow so i just wanted to see if there were an early pips or anything. i picked up hen #2 and only saw 3 eggs when she should have had 4. then i felt it stuck to her feathers. when i pulled it away, there was a large whole on the side and i could clearly see a well-formed dead chick. the albumen that was leaking out didn't look right and it had a slight smell. so, my questions are: - does it sound like the previous broken eggs and this incidence are completely unconnected and just bad luck? - is it common for eggs to get stuck in hens' feathers? is there any way to stop it? - do you think this egg was bad and bust (hence sticking in her feathers) or that it just got icky since it bust?
I dont know the answers to your questions but I did want to say I have 2 broody orpingtons again. I find broken eggs every time they try to hatch. I usually try to take the eggs from them as I was afraid they were crushing them. I talked to an old timer about it and he said that the broodie need calicum so shes breaking the eggs to get it. DOnt know if this is correct but it does kinds makes sense. They probably do need extra calicum when brooding. I cooked and gave all my broodies some hardboiled egg last night I want to see if I do that if I get anymore cracked and broken eggs.
thanks for the reply! when they were at the coop they had access to oyster shell, so i don't think that's the problem here. but maybe they just weren't eating it? dunno.
the other broody Orp gave up on her nest last night... when hatch is supposed to start TODAY. stupid. bloody. chicken! i went down to check on them and turn the light off and she was laying in the shavings NEXT to her nest box full of eggs. the eggs were cool but not cold. i placed her back on them and she hopped off again. i placed her on them again and flicked the lights off super fast. that did the trick, for the night at least. this morning, as soon as the light went on she was off the nest. not bothered at all. so i shuffled her eggs over to the other Orp and sent her back to the main coop. she seemed relieved to be free of her "job." i'm having serious doubts about anything hatching. but i had serious doubts with the Silkie and she hatched 6/7. i think i'll stick to Silkie broodies in the future.
