Broody hen is killing her babies as they hatch...

[momaof3]

I have a beautiful white crested black polish that has been broody for almost 4 months. Yes, you heard that right,a polish that has been broody for almost 4 months. We had her outside in the hoop coop and she was sitting a several eggs. Right when they were getting ready to hatch, they disappeared and some others either weren't fertile or just didn't make it that far. We figured it was a snake that stole her eggs, so we "fixed" the coop. We gave her eggs from our buff orpington and again right before they were getting ready to hatch some of them disappeared. At this point we had to put her in the garage because we felt so bad for her. We put more chicken wire, cow panels, hard ware cloth, and even some plexi glass around the coop and run. Just a couple of days ago I was in the garage with her. She comes running out of her coop into her little run area with an egg in her mouth and then started pecking at it. I quickly ran over there but it was too late. My sister was coming to visit the next day so I asked her to bring her incubator. While we were letting the incubator set up, she did it again. My polish brought another egg out that had just started to hatch and killed it. Needless to say we immediately removed the remaining eggs and put them in the incubator. Then we gave her a cool bath and put her outside with my free range chickens. Why is she doing this?

 

[allbirds]

Last spring I had a hen do something similar. She would wait until they hatched before she would kill them but as soon as one would hatch she would raise up and peck it to death. I took the remaining eggs and put her in a different pen and this year she hatched a clutch and raised them like a pro! Not sure why she did it last year but she done great this year! I didn't do anything different either. My advice is to break her up from setting and give her another chance next time and maybe she'll be more mature and ready! Good luck!

 

[chickens really]

Some hens will only set eggs till they start hatching...For some reason they like the brooding but have no idea they are to care for the Chicks that come out of the eggs...
That must of been disappointing....?
Maybe next year she will be better at raising Chicks....

Good luck

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm a very anxious person I know I would never give a killer broody another chance. But that is just me. Obviously some posters have discovered their bad broodies mature into much better ones.

 

[Tamzig]

I have a beautiful white crested black polish that has been broody for almost 4 months. Yes, you heard that right,a polish that has been broody for almost 4 months. We had her outside in the hoop coop and she was sitting a several eggs. Right when they were getting ready to hatch, they disappeared and some others either weren't fertile or just didn't make it that far. We figured it was a snake that stole her eggs, so we "fixed" the coop. We gave her eggs from our buff orpington and again right before they were getting ready to hatch some of them disappeared. At this point we had to put her in the garage because we felt so bad for her. We put more chicken wire, cow panels, hard ware cloth, and even some plexi glass around the coop and run. Just a couple of days ago I was in the garage with her. She comes running out of her coop into her little run area with an egg in her mouth and then started pecking at it. I quickly ran over there but it was too late. My sister was coming to visit the next day so I asked her to bring her incubator. While we were letting the incubator set up, she did it again. My polish brought another egg out that had just started to hatch and killed it. Needless to say we immediately removed the remaining eggs and put them in the incubator. Then we gave her a cool bath and put her outside with my free range chickens. Why is she doing this?

I'm also having the same problem...my broody hen hatched three chicks and seems to be doing well. A few more eggs started to hatch a few days later and I realized she was pecking the chicks to death as they hatched. I was too late to prevent it but I've left the three other chicks with her...

 

[The Birb King]

My broodies have never done this, but if they did I probably wouldn't give them another chance

 

[LaFleche]

For unknown reasons, some broodies have a problem to switch from "egg protecting" mode to "mothering" mode when the chicks start to hatch.
The chicks will begin to communicate with the broody as soon as they pip internally which usually would be one or two days prior to hatching, so the broody would answer and be prepared and not kill them.

With first time broodies it is often just the first hatchling that gets killed and they switch to mothering mode right afterwards.

 

[Tamzig]

For unknown reasons, some broodies have a problem to switch from "egg protecting" mode to "mothering" mode when the chicks start to hatch.
The chicks will begin to communicate with the broody as soon as they pip internally which usually would be one or two days prior to hatching, so the broody would answer and be prepared and not kill them.

With first time broodies it is often just the first hatchling that gets killed and they switch to mothering mode right afterwards.

Not sure what went wrong... she protected the eggs, then mothered the chicks... just when more eggs started to hatch she seems to have forgotten how to protect OR mother the new ones.

 

[LaFleche]

Not sure what went wrong... she protected the eggs, then mothered the chicks... just when more eggs started to hatch she seems to have forgotten how to protect OR mother the new ones.

All eggs should be marked and put under a broody at the same time to prevent the various issues that arise from a staggered hatch.

Usually, a broody will leave the nest one day after the last chick hatched even when there are still unhatched eggs left as she has to defacate and take care of the chicks and lead them to drink and eat.
Any unhatched will be left.

Occasionally, a broody will stay on her nest as long as she can feel an egg under her no matter if the other chicks have already hatched and are hungry.
She might even poop in the nest and soil everything and everyone if not taken out of the nest by the human caretaker.