Broody kicking eggs out day 20

[evardson89]

hi BYC its day 21 tomorrow. The last 3 days my broody has kicked out 4 eggs. 2 were today. She started with 10 and now has 3.
I'm lead to belie that she will do this to the eggs she senses are bad, but is it more likely that she will do this at such a late date?

 

[sourland]

I think it is more likely that another hen is entering the nest, and eggs are inadvertently getting kicked out.

 

[Birdinhand]

as an aside, you might want to pop those eggs either back under her or in an incubator. developing eggs can actually get "cold" for up to 12 hours or more and still resume normal development if returned to heat. is it possible the nest is too "flat" and the eggs are just falling out? I have not heard of hens having keen enough senses to kick out bad eggs. if I had to put money on it, I'd say she's either doing this by mistake or she is losing her "staying power" as a broody hen.