Broody hen

[sassychickens76]

Sounds good. We have a spotlight that gets very bright. Would that work or would something like a mag-light work better?

 

[aart]

Sounds good. We have a spotlight that gets very bright. Would that work or would something like a mag-light work better?

Needs to be something small enough to wrap your hand around to block the light from escaping between light and egg.
Shine light into the fat end of the egg.

 

[sassychickens76]

Something funny happened tonight. I went to check under my hen and she only had 4 eggs under her. Yesterday she had 5. I brought 4 eggs in today but none of them had a blue x, my mark I put on them. (To @bobbi-j I put rings around the eggs tonight.) Could she have had the 5th egg under her wing when I picked her up? Any other ideas?

 

[aart]

Could she have had the 5th egg under her wing when I picked her up?

Maybe, gotta watch that when picking up a broody.
Was there any 'mess' in the nest, like from a broken egg?
Are other birds laying in her nest?

 

[sassychickens76]

Maybe, gotta watch that when picking up a broody.
Was there any 'mess' in the nest, like from a broken egg?
Are other birds laying in her nest?

No, that was the crazy part! Well, there was something wet outside the nest box but I think it was just where water got spilled. I'll take a closer look today. I have been finding two eggs in the other nesting box and She has had no extra eggs under her. Also, I noticed when I picked her up that she had scooted all the hay to the sides and so the eggs were on the bare wood. Should I do something or leave it be?

 

[aart]

Also, I noticed when I picked her up that she had scooted all the hay to the sides and so the eggs were on the bare wood. Should I do something or leave it be?

Should be ok, tho you could add more when you remove her to candle.
What kind of bedding?

 

[sassychickens76]

Should be ok, tho you could add more when you remove her to candle.
What kind of bedding?

Hay, the liquid outside the box had not dried and was sticky, I think it was egg but I found no shell. Could she have eaten it? Was the egg probably dead? I'll add more bedding when I candle.

 

[bobbi-j]

It could have been the missing egg. It’s possible that it fell out of the nest, broke and got eaten by another hen.

 

[sassychickens76]

Will that encourage the chicken who ate it to start eating it's eggs?

 

[aart]

Will that encourage the chicken who ate it to start eating it's eggs?

It might...but usually a cracked egg is fair game and doesn't lead to them breaking eggs.
Good to gather eggs frequently.
I like to replace gathered eggs with fake eggs(hard heavy ones).