Broody eater

[SenseiKathy]

Hi, I have a very broody chicken that I finally gathered eggs all latex on the same day just for her. She has been sitting in them for 16 days. She has broken 2 and ate them. Is this normal? I’m assuming she accidentally cracked them and ate them to dispose of them. Anyon ever experienced this?

 

[Dr Evy]

Welcome to BYC! We’re so glad you joined!

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Some hens are just clumsy, but generally eggs break when there is inadequate nesting material and/or other hens access the nest wanting to lay there.

 

[N F C]

Hello, hope the remaining eggs give you a good hatch.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Can you post pictures of her nest?
How many eggs did you give her?

 

[Kiki]

Hi, I have a very broody chicken that I finally gathered eggs all latex on the same day just for her. She has been sitting in them for 16 days. She has broken 2 and ate them. Is this normal? I’m assuming she accidentally cracked them and ate them to dispose of them. Anyon ever experienced this?

Welcome. No it's not really normal for her to break the eggs she's sitting on to eat...but it does happen.
Have you been candling the eggs to make sure that they are fertile and developing?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to hang out and explore. I agree not the normal to do that if the hen is not really solid broody may do more of it.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC.
I have a 7 yo hen, who is broody every 3 to 4 months. I indulge her often. If I let her hatch her own, she will always eat one or two eggs. Generally, I just put eggs in an incubator and give her chicks. This last time she ate only one and hatch 5. I don't know if the eggs she ate were developing, because I didn't candle her eggs until day 11.

 

[SenseiKathy]

Welcome. No it's not really normal for her to break the eggs she's sitting on to eat...but it does happen.
Have you been candling the eggs to make sure that they are fertile and developing?

I candled them recently and they were all viable. She has chosen an upturned step booster as her best. I keep putting hay in it to keep it soft, think I’ll switch to shavings as she keeps pushing it out. I think she’s just breaking them as I did give her quite a few to begin with…I have 14 hens and two roosters. I put 11 under her to begin with as that was the amount laid that day.

 

[SenseiKathy]

Welcome to BYC.
I have a 7 yo hen, who is broody every 3 to 4 months. I indulge her often. If I let her hatch her own, she will always eat one or two eggs. Generally, I just put eggs in an incubator and give her chicks. This last time she ate only one and hatch 5. I don't know if the eggs she ate were developing, because I didn't candle her eggs until day 11.

How do you introduce the chicks? I actually have 6 that are a week old from the same hen…she abandoned them so I hatched them out…btw I’ve got another broody hen that allows other chickens to lay right on top of her so I’m taking those eggs and leaving dummy eggs…wonder if I can give her the chicks..