Do broody hens eat bad/dead eggs?

[Jayteetee]

Broody was sitting on 5 eggs. There are now 4 and a tiny amount of fowl smelling goo. I can't see any left over shell.

Do broody hens know if eggs are bad and eat them to get rid of them? Otherwise I have no idea where the 5th egg went. She was fully enclosed all day.

 

[DobieLover]

Do broody hens know if eggs are bad and eat them to get rid of them?

They can. Mine never have.

She was fully enclosed all day.

I had a hen break and eat one of her eggs on day 2. I don't think there is any way for her to have known an egg was bad that soon during incubation. I don't think she realized she had food in her enclosure and she was just hungry. I normally keep the door open to the maternity ward for setting hens but that particular hen was a bantam and a bit low in the pecking order and I wanted to give her more time to getting really broody so I closed the door. Once her door was opened, she didn't damage any more eggs.

This may or may not be similar to what happened with your hen. I suggest you do a managed broody break with her every day by carefully lifting her from her nest and putting her in the flock to tend to herself. Stick around and watch while she has her break and be there to monitor her getting back to her nest and settled before leaving. I like managing breaks with hens that have full access to the flock and the flock to her for the opportunity to inspect the nest to ensure no errant eggs have been laid with the hatching eggs. And so I know she has at least relieved herself, gotten some food, stretched her legs and wings, preened a bit and maybe a short bath. I keep fresh water with a setting hen at all times.

The water bottle will be moved over to this hen's nest so she can reach it while setting prior to hatch.

 

[Jayteetee]

They can. Mine never have.

I had a hen break and eat one of her eggs on day 2. I don't think there is any way for her to have known an egg was bad that soon during incubation. I don't think she realized she had food in her enclosure and she was just hungry. I normally keep the door open to the maternity ward for setting hens but that particular hen was a bantam and a bit low in the pecking order and I wanted to give her more time to getting really broody so I closed the door. Once her door was opened, she didn't damage any more eggs.

This may or may not be similar to what happened with your hen. I suggest you do a managed broody break with her every day by carefully lifting her from her nest and putting her in the flock to tend to herself. Stick around and watch while she has her break and be there to monitor her getting back to her nest and settled before leaving. I like managing breaks with hens that have full access to the flock and the flock to her for the opportunity to inspect the nest to ensure no errant eggs have been laid with the hatching eggs. And so I know she has at least relieved herself, gotten some food, stretched her legs and wings, preened a bit and maybe a short bath. I keep fresh water with a setting hen at all times.

The water bottle will be moved over to this hen's nest so she can reach it while setting prior to hatch.
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Your hen is gorgeous. What is she?
My broody has hatched eggs before with no issues. Loves being broody & tending to chick's.
If she broke the egg it would have been accidental.. but one of them was super cracked (in those pictures I uploaded here) so it could have been that one. Or, she did it on purpose because it was a bad egg as that fresh left over goo smelt really really bad.

What do you think?

 

[thecatumbrella]

The water bottle will be moved over to this hen's nest so she can reach it while setting prior to hatch.

I'm just starting to learn about how to keep broody hens, and I love this idea (especially with ours being nipple trained). Also, your girl is unbearably adorable! Salmon Faverolle?

 

[DobieLover]

Your hen is gorgeous. What is she?

She's half Salmon Faverolles (her father is pure) and half 'I have no idea'. Her mother may have been one of my Welsummers. She has 2 half sisters that look so much like her I can only tell one of them apart from the trio. The one with a pea comb. I call them the triples. They are not the same age.

What do you think?

It is possible. Have you been inspecting the nest daily? Is there any chance the egg was accidentally broken a few days ago and the residue is what is making the smell? Have you changed the nest material to keep to make sure the remaining eggs are not contacted by the bacteria making the smell? And to keep mom clean.

I'm just starting to learn about how to keep broody hens, and I love this idea (especially with ours being nipple trained). Also, your girl is unbearably adorable! Salmon Faverolle?

See above. The eggs should be pipping soon and she should have chicks under her by tomorrow.

I wrote an article for how I manage broody hens in my flock. You may be interested in reading it. You might find some useful tips that may help you.

 

[Mrs. K]

It happens, the egg broke, or exploded, I have had both. Really this is where the saying comes from, "Don't count your chickens until they hatch!"

 

[Ridgerunner]

Broody was sitting on 5 eggs. There are now 4 and a tiny amount of fowl smelling goo. I can't see any left over shell.

Do broody hens know if eggs are bad and eat them to get rid of them?

I have never seen a hen eat or remove a "bad" egg. If I don't have enough of a lip on the nest chickens can scratch one out of the nest so people might think that. That could be a broody turning her eggs or a hen on the nest to lay.

Otherwise I have no idea where the 5th egg went. She was fully enclosed all day.

I have had a broody break an egg by walking on it, a very thin-shelled egg. When hens get on and off of the nest they can walk on the eggs. I've seen it a lot, whether they are broody or just in there to lay an egg. If the egg is thin shelled or already cracked it might be pretty easy to crack open an egg.

that fresh left over goo smelt really really bad.

Since the egg was cracked my guess is that bacteria had already gotten inside so the egg was turning rotten. She probably ate the shell since it was already broken.

I really like broody hens. They do their job so well. But I think there is another explanation for what happened.

 

[Jayteetee]

I have never seen a hen eat or remove a "bad" egg. If I don't have enough of a lip on the nest chickens can scratch one out of the nest so people might think that. That could be a broody turning her eggs or a hen on the nest to lay.


I have had a broody break an egg by walking on it, a very thin-shelled egg. When hens get on and off of the nest they can walk on the eggs. I've seen it a lot, whether they are broody or just in there to lay an egg. If the egg is thin shelled or already cracked it might be pretty easy to crack open an egg.


Since the egg was cracked my guess is that bacteria had already gotten inside so the egg was turning rotten. She probably ate the shell since it was already broken.

I really like broody hens. They do their job so well. But I think there is another explanation for what happened.

Thanks for the reply.
I checked today & she still had 4 eggs. I don't have high hopes for them though. I noticed today another had a crack and I smelled another one and it had the faintest bad smell she's been excellent and has stayed with them so maybe just a bad batch of thin shelled eggs.

 

[Jayteetee]

Ive had the worst luck.
Another two eggs died & i took them out last night at day 14. One of the eggs had started to ooze a foul liquid.

Broody had two left with her last night.. i just checked this morning and only one left. I could hear crunching in her mouth so she ate one of the eggs. Now she has 1 left.