Broody hen

[DebAnneDigi]

I have a broody hen. My neighbor was nice enough to give me 3 fertilized BLUE eggs…I went to retrieve eggs… they were all under the broody hen..she got up an walked around drank some water… there were only 2 blue eggs… I search through all the nesting boxes… there are only 2 blue eggs.. kept checking my bag like I was OCD… I only collected the brown eggs… do they eat them? No remnants of a yolk or shells… disappeared w/o a trace… I moved all the grass and stuff outside in the run… nothing!!

Has anyone ever experienced this, I am bewildered
She’s in a nesting box. The others want to lay eggs in same box… I’m going to put ceramic eggs in the empty boxes… right??

 

[sourland]

I'd be concerned that a snake may have taken the egg.

 

[DebAnneDigi]

I'd be concerned that a snake may have taken the egg.

Nothing can get in run… locked tight with hardware cloth… mice and voles can’t get in either..,

 

[SenseiKathy]

I have a broody hen. My neighbor was nice enough to give me 3 fertilized BLUE eggs…I went to retrieve eggs… they were all under the broody hen..she got up an walked around drank some water… there were only 2 blue eggs… I search through all the nesting boxes… there are only 2 blue eggs.. kept checking my bag like I was OCD… I only collected the brown eggs… do they eat them? No remnants of a yolk or shells… disappeared w/o a trace… I moved all the grass and stuff outside in the run… nothing!!

Has anyone ever experienced this, I am bewildered
She’s in a nesting box. The others want to lay eggs in same box… I’m going to put ceramic eggs in the empty boxes… right??

My guess…She ate it. I have a broody hen that has eaten some her clutch. Not sure if they were broken or they were dead and she was disposing of them.

 

[Mrs. K]

Just like the old wives tale, 'don't count your chicks until they hatch' It is a long 21 days.

Mrs K

 

[Jojosine]

My guess…She ate it. I have a broody hen that has eaten some her clutch. Not sure if they were broken or they were dead and she was disposing of them.

I have the same right now: all of a sudden she has started eating the nearly fully incubated eggs! Tonight I am going to put lots of bedding in, so they keep warm, but are not so easy to break or eat.