Chickens keep stealing my broody eggs!

[Fee1inclucky]

Hi all,

I have a broody Pekin who has been sitting on 6 fertilised eggs for the last 18 days. I have two other chickens who just lay their eggs on top of her (which I have been removing) and no problems. Then yesterday I found three broken eggs on my lawn (well away from the coop) with fully formed chicks in them. She now only has three left

I’m convinced it is my polish who has taken them and cracked them open as I just caught her trying to put her head under the broody. How can I stop this? My chickens have never been interested in eating/breaking eggs before. I tried moving the broody to the garage but she got very distressed and would not settle. I have now shut the broody away in the coops and created another make shift nesting box for my other two chickens but they won’t use it. I feel like keeping them separated is going to cause lots of problems for reintegration. Any tips would be great

 

[nuthatched]

Chickens can't carry eggs thay far, I suspect something else is doing it.
It's best to give broody her own space for the length of her incubation to prevent issues. I can you get a dog crate to make a broody nest inside the coop so the others can have the nest boxes? And still see her?

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Hi all,

I have a broody Pekin who has been sitting on 6 fertilised eggs for the last 18 days. I have two other chickens who just lay their eggs on top of her (which I have been removing) and no problems. Then yesterday I found three broken eggs on my lawn (well away from the coop) with fully formed chicks in them. She now only has three left

I’m convinced it is my polish who has taken them and cracked them open as I just caught her trying to put her head under the broody. How can I stop this? My chickens have never been interested in eating/breaking eggs before. I tried moving the broody to the garage but she got very distressed and would not settle. I have now shut the broody away in the coops and created another make shift nesting box for my other two chickens but they won’t use it. I feel like keeping them separated is going to cause lots of problems for reintegration. Any tips would be great

I had this happen with my ducks eggs.
Each morning the moms 3 sisters would lay in her nest. At week one I found one of the eggs cracked at I removed the new ones
I left it and mom discarded it later that day. Then day19 it happened again.
I saw the egg when I pulled the fresh eggs out
It looks like an egg dropped right on it as the crack was a big circle like an egg
I left it and later that day mom brought that egg out and dropped it and baby outside of the duck house
Then I decided to fully enclose moms area so the girls couldn’t lay eggs in her nest
It worked the last 6 eggs continued and all 6 hatched
My lesson learned if I have a broody again I will block her off as soon as I know she is fully committed
In my case nobody was trying to hurt the eggs it was just how it hit the eggs as the other girls dropped it out
Very unfortunate
I would block her off an area where others can’t get her but she can come out drink and eat

 

[Fee1inclucky]

Chickens can't carry eggs thay far, I suspect something else is doing it.
It's best to give broody her own space for the length of her incubation to prevent issues. I can you get a dog crate to make a broody nest inside the coop so the others can have the nest boxes? And still see her?

I did think that they couldn’t carry them far so possibly a rat, I’ve since set up a chicken camera but the only thing that’s gone in so far are the other chickens. I do have a dog crate I can put her in but I was worried about her getting distressed and breaking the eggs. When I put her in a box in the garage she would not settle (left her for an hour) and as soon as I opened the door she flew out!

 

[Fee1inclucky]

I had this happen with my ducks eggs.
Each morning the moms 3 sisters would lay in her nest. At week one I found one of the eggs cracked at I removed the new ones
I left it and mom discarded it later that day. Then day19 it happened again.
I saw the egg when I pulled the fresh eggs out
It looks like an egg dropped right on it as the crack was a big circle like an egg
I left it and later that day mom brought that egg out and dropped it and baby outside of the duck house
Then I decided to fully enclose moms area so the girls couldn’t lay eggs in her nest
It worked the last 6 eggs continued and all 6 hatched
My lesson learned if I have a broody again I will block her off as soon as I know she is fully committed
In my case nobody was trying to hurt the eggs it was just how it hit the eggs as the other girls dropped it out
Very unfortunate
I would block her off an area where others can’t get her but she can come out drink and eat

Thank you for the info and glad your last six managed to hatch. I’ve have shut her box off and left food and water in there. Just have to find somewhere for the other girls to lay their eggs now. Will definitely do the same and block her off from the start if she hatches any more.

 

[nuthatched]

I did think that they couldn’t carry them far so possibly a rat, I’ve since set up a chicken camera but the only thing that’s gone in so far are the other chickens. I do have a dog crate I can put her in but I was worried about her getting distressed and breaking the eggs. When I put her in a box in the garage she would not settle (left her for an hour) and as soon as I opened the door she flew out!

Leave the crate in the coop if possible, that will help keep her calm

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I did think that they couldn’t carry them far so possibly a rat, I’ve since set up a chicken camera but the only thing that’s gone in so far are the other chickens. I do have a dog crate I can put her in but I was worried about her getting distressed and breaking the eggs. When I put her in a box in the garage she would not settle (left her for an hour) and as soon as I opened the door she flew out!

This is what I did. Her nest was in the crate so I just made an area around her crate
After the ducks laid their eggs in the morning I let her out and kept the duck door open so she could come in and out to bath , eat and drink
At night I shut her door to keep the other girls out
With chickens they can fly so this maybe harder unless you went floor to ceiling
This also worked as a safe place for the newborn babies
My crew could see but not touch
At day 4 I let her and the little ones into the outdoor covered area attached to the duck house and kept the older one locked out till early evening when I put her and little ones to bed
Day 12 I let her bring them in the yard with the others and they were all fine at night she still takes them into her area