Broody Kicked an Egg Off the Nest

[CoalLucker]

I'm new to the whole broody hen hatching out eggs and today I went out and she had moved an egg from underneath her to a completely different nesting box. Is it because the egg is no good? It's only been about 2-3 days that she's been sitting on them.

 

[eneick17]

I'm new to the whole broody hen hatching out eggs and today I went out and she had moved an egg from underneath her to a completely different nesting box. Is it because the egg is no good? It's only been about 2-3 days that she's been sitting on them.

candle the egg, at 3 days there should be a small .5 centimeter sized mass in the egg with tendrils starting to form. if the egg has this put it back, if not toss it to be on the safe side.

another possibility is that another hen just laid her egg. so put the hatch date on the remaining eggs underneath her to prevent a mix up. chickens like to lay eggs where other chickens have laid (this would be why putting a fake egg in a nesting box helps a pullet know where to lay). I personally have had only one broody hen and her nest failed. in order to prevent her from having separate clutches at once, put her in a large dog crate with food and water and of course, her eggs. this way the other chickens won't harass her.
good luck on your broody!

 

[Abriana]

sometimes if she knows it won't hatch, the embryo has died, or it was never fertile, she will kick it out.

 

[bobbi-j]

I would mark that particular egg and put it back under her. If she's only been setting for 2-3 days, it could be hard to see development if they are darker shelled eggs. Sometimes they do know if one isn't going to hatch, but I don't know if they can sense that this early in the incubation.