Broody Hen eating eggs on day 19? UPDATE- 5 live chickies...so cute!

[This_chicks_place]

Hi, I need some info from the chicken experts. I have a broody sitting on 14 eggs, they are on day 19. Today we caught her pecking dead chicks twice. She apparently cracked their eggs and was in the peocess of eating them when we caught her. The dead chicks looked normal and almost ready to hatch. This is her second time being broody and lad\st year a few eggs disapeared also. Is this normal? Should we be concerned? They are so close to hatching....it's frustrating!

help please!!

 

[1234ro]

I think the best bet is to incubate them. And have herd of this happening before, it may be because she is not getting enough nutrience.

 

[This_chicks_place]

She has access to food, water and black oiled sunflower seeds as treats.

 

[1234ro]

hey some times just like eating egg shells, then they get adicted to it.

 

[This_chicks_place]

Has anybody else ever had this happen?? I can't believe she would do it this late in process.

 

[Blueberrygirl]

This happened to us Saturday as well. After losing 5 chicks we took the rest of the eggs out of the nests. We don't have a real incubator so we put the eggs under heat lights. Low Humidity is an issue I think but at least they have a chanc this way. Two hatched Sunday and are doing great. One hatched today but died a couple hours later, I think from "mushy chick" syndrome. Hoping the rest will be OK.

 

[This_chicks_place]

This happened to us Saturday as well. After losing 5 chicks we took the rest of the eggs out of the nests. We don't have a real incubator so we put the eggs under heat lights. Low Humidity is an issue I think but at least they have a chanc this way. Two hatched Sunday and are doing great. One hatched today but died a couple hours later, I think from "mushy chick" syndrome. Hoping the rest will be OK.

Sorry about your losses. Today is the actual hatch day for us, this morning found another dead chick.

I gave her some hard boiled eggs this afternoon and some sunflower seeds, hoping to distract her if anymore hatched. Just went to check on her and there is one live chick with her and she seems to be clucking to it. Here's hoping for a calm night...she still has ten more to hatch. Last year she was such a great mama this has us so frustrated. We will just let nature take it's course.......as it usually knows whats best.

 

[Blueberrygirl]

Good luck to you! We actually had a dozen hens setting so I'm trying to rescue roughly 100 eggs. They are in various stages of development so we took all the eggs away (since we're not sure what's what). Had another one successfully hatch today & I just heard another egg peeping. This is our first tine hatching eggs & I *was* a firm believer that mother nature is best, but after all this I think I'll use an incubator from now on. I really hope your momma hen takes care of her babies. Good luck again!

 

[This_chicks_place]

Update: 3 live babies this morning and 8 more eggs to go!

We will see what happens. Good luck Blueberrygirl with all your eggs!

 

[This_chicks_place]