Broody hen and stolen eggs

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes, exactly! Exact same situation happened with me and i had to make the choice to unfortunately discard a sebright egg because it didn’t look good to me so she could walk with the others.

OP: Like NatJ said, my broody sat on the nest, and even though she had chicks, she would not leave the nest like she should have. I noticed an egg, though on day 21, almost day 22, there was no pip, cheeping, nothing. Her chicks were ready to explore, but she didn’t budge. Once i removed the egg she foraged with them instantly and took them around the yard.

I have a pheonix like that too. I have to be really on top with candling her eggs and removing ninjas so that she doesn't set too long. She's starved chicks before when I didn't realize she wasn't taking breaks with them off the late eggs

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Thank you guys. So NO new eggs, got it.

Any idea what could be stealing her eggs during the daytime? Property is fully inclosed, so no other humans can still it. I have dogs, but they don't go into the coop.
My coop is also up on the 4x4 about chest high, with five steps up.

Do you think if I move the hen to a different nesting box and fully enclose her (but of course give her food and water and let her out few times a day) she will not abandon brooding halfway?

Could be a rat, although squirrels will steal and eat chicken eggs, too. I never knew squirrels would do that until I caught one in the act one day, coming out of the coop with an egg. But it makes sense, as they eat bird eggs and will kill and eat baby birds, just like a rat.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Could be a rat, although squirrels will steal and eat chicken eggs, too. I never knew squirrels would do that until I caught one in the act one day, coming out of the coop with an egg. But it makes sense, as they eat bird eggs and will kill and eat baby birds, just like a rat.

Do chipmunks steal eggs?

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Do chipmunks steal eggs?

Haven't seen one or heard of one doing it, but I suppose it's possible, now that I know regular squirrels do.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Do broody hens continue to lay eggs while on a clutch of eggs?

 

[NatJ]

Do broody hens continue to lay eggs while on a clutch of eggs?

Nope.

It's fairly common for them to lay an egg or two at the beginning, right after they become broody, but after that they completely stop.

After the chicks hatch, or after the hen quits being broody for any other reason, it takes her a while to start laying eggs again (often several weeks, but sometimes shorter or much longer.)

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I think she thinks she's going to have a hatch but is in a hidden hard to get to place. I counted 14, unless I was wrong yesterday there was 13 and one that isn't hers. This is where she is nesting: