Brooding Hen Eating Eggs - Help!

[roybus]

One of my hens is brooding so we bought some fertilized eggs and she has been diligently sitting on them for 1.5 weeks now. We take her out of the nesting box twice/day to eat and drink and she gets right back into the nesting box after about 5 minuets. We have now noticed that she is starting to eat the eggs she's sitting on! How can we stop this???
Please help!

 

[Mtn Margie]

I have heard of a hen eating an egg that she laid in order to eat it while brooding others, so maybe she is hungry for some protein. I would offer her tuna or some cat food or something else high in protein, (cooked hamburger) and see if that stops it. I gave my hen Flock Raiser while she was brooding. We have geese and a mixed flock anyway.