Do chickens eat their young 😢

[Lmdarwish]

I have 3 hens sitting on eggs day 20. My Jersey giant was sitting on 3 eggs , today I only found 2 under her ! I looked everywhere for the “lost” egg . Today all 6 eggs were peeping , the one egg had pipped. I found the Jersey giant helping it along . Checked on it 30 min later the chick was laying next to her cold and egg shell was gone ! could she have eaten the missing egg and chic ???? I was able to warm the baby up and put her under my silkie and her remaining egg under other silkie !

 

[Jack3291]

I think the hen most likely ate the shell and most chickens eat the shells because they don't have enough calcium. For the missing egg I don't think she could have eaten it. First, if it had, there should have been some evidence, stains of dried yolk, bits of egg shell, ect. They have also been known to eat the yolk also and some will purposely break eggs after having tasted yolk.

 

[Lmdarwish]

I think the hen most likely ate the shell and most chickens eat the shells because they don't have enough calcium. For the missing egg I don't think she could have eaten it. First, if it had, there should have been some evidence, stains of dried yolk, bits of egg shell, ect. They have also been known to eat the yolk also and some will purposely break eggs after having tasted yolk.

Thanks ! My brother-in-law just told me that the “missing egg” was probably bad egg and she may have eaten . I found some moisture under all the shaving and there is a small odor. But her 1st hatched egg she just left it beside her and it’s only 50 degrees in garage so when I found chic it was barely alive and so cold !! And egg shell was gone ! So maybe just a good mama just yet ??

 

[MeowthLover_ThatsRight]

my hens killed their babies last time we tried to breed.
but now the only one that survived is a big, strong, pretty rooster!!