Rehoboth
Chirping
Would a broody hen ever eat one of the eggs she's sitting on? Earlier this spring we had a black copper Marans (less than a year old) go broody. We put 11 eggs under her, and 7 successfully hatched. 1 was broken by another hen a couple days before hatching, one pipped but failed to get all the way out (during the night, so we didn't notice in time), and one was inert. If you're keeping track, that means one completely disappeared. We looked all over the inside and outside of the coop and never found a trace. And all 11 had been there a few days before.
3 months later, she's broody again (raccons ate all of the previous chicks
). We put 12 eggs under her. 2 weeks in, I checked while she was off the nest today - and there are only 11 eggs. Is there any chance she's eating one egg from every brood??? She's in a coop by herself, firmly closed. (Raccoons got in the other coop when we didn't close it right at dusk. When they're closed properly they're raccoon proof; and she's in a separate coop that isn't being opened and closed.) But there was no sign of dirty bedding or left-over shell, either this time or last time.
3 months later, she's broody again (raccons ate all of the previous chicks
). We put 12 eggs under her. 2 weeks in, I checked while she was off the nest today - and there are only 11 eggs. Is there any chance she's eating one egg from every brood??? She's in a coop by herself, firmly closed. (Raccoons got in the other coop when we didn't close it right at dusk. When they're closed properly they're raccoon proof; and she's in a separate coop that isn't being opened and closed.) But there was no sign of dirty bedding or left-over shell, either this time or last time.
