casting out eggs- hens pushing eggs out of the nest while setting

[KellyandKatie]

I have three nests going right now. In nest box #1 I have a muscovy covering about 14 scovie eggs, little britches is a silkie banty- they are both dedicated and getting along well- but they both sit in that one box- I am not worried about that little banty breaking big ole duck eggs- but I do wonder about over heating the eggs with two mommies
in box #2 I have another scovie who is about a week in, she had 16 eggs under her, yesterday she pushed one out of the nesting box and severalfeet away- and today another
in nesting box #3 I have another tiny little banty covering a half dozen or so scovie eggs, she pushed two out today- completely out of the box and away ( there is a lip on my boxes, so it is not like they accidently rolled out or just got pushed out a little- someone had to work hard to get them out of the box)

why are they pushing eggs out?
in box #1- she has been going the longest she started on the 13th, the other two boxes are about a week in only
too many eggs and they just wanted less? Did they decide those eggs were no good? I candled them- they were developing nicely - but they had gone cold, so I did not save them - should I have just put them back under the hens? Or did the hens do it on purpose? It seems like it is them knowing something I do'nt and I have faith that they know best- but I would like a clue why they are doing it... any ideas?

 

[abooth]

I think mama hen knows best about eggs. If the eggs were very expensive or valuable you could take out the rejected eggs and try to finish them in an incubator. If a hen pushes an egg out I bet she has a darn good reason. Just my opinion. There seems to be so much to raising chicks and hatching eggs. We have to research what the hen already knows.