Does anyone feel bad talking eggs from their broody hens?

[Crow_]

I know it’s just part of owning chickens, but I still feel a tinge of guilt when I take them and my hen starts grumbling.

 

[Shadrach]

The first question one has to ask is are the eggs fertile?
If they are fertile then the fact is one is stealing their potential offspring.
I would be a bit concerend if people didn't even pause to think about this issue even if they still decided to take the eggs.
I don't feel any guilt in removing unfertile eggs, even from under a broody.
Fertile eggs, particularly if the hen is sitting does make me think, not guilty as such but fully aware of what I am in fact doing.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

*sigh* yes. The last time, I just made an omelette and promised her chicks when the weather warms up. The first time though, I went “noooooooo, not the babies!” And I put 3 eggs in my incubator. It was a bit of a wreck, one didn’t make it to hatch, the others both hatched a day early, one with a messed up yolk sack and the other with veins bleeding in the eggshell. The two that made it are doing ok now, and I have no regret! I hope they are both hens, because I don’t want to sell them after going through all that.(I don’t cull my chickens for moral reasons)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I know it’s just part of owning chickens, but I still feel a tinge of guilt when I take them and my hen starts grumbling.

Welcome to BYC!

I only feel bad about letting her continue to sit and lose condition without making any effort to "break" the broodiness, if she doesn't have any chance of hatching (or adopting) something.

I do also feel bad for the broody's that devotedly sit on and hatch chicks only to have them habitually taken by human predators.

I don't enjoy the "breaking" either but I cannot feel guilty.. for I know what's in the best interest of my flock and act accordingly for everyone involved. I've been a kid and raised kids.. guilt trips are no longer leading to valid destinations in my mind.

ETA: taking the eggs is not enough to break the hormones in MY experience.. since some will brood the air like they're on imaginary eggs.

 

[Crow_]

Welcome to BYC!

I only feel bad about letting her continue to sit and lose condition without making any effort to "break" the broodiness, if she doesn't have any chance of hatching (or adopting) something.

I do also feel bad for the broody's that devotedly sit on and hatch chicks only to have them taken by human predators.

I don't enjoy the "breaking" either but I cannot feel guilty.. for I know what's in the best interest of my flock and act accordingly for everyone involved. I've been a kid and raised kids.. guilt trips are no longer leading to valid destinations in my mind.

Oh, I didn’t think of it like that. That helps me knowing it’s in her best interest. Especially since I only have hens so there’s no point in her wasting away. Thank you!

 

[Crow_]

The first question one has to ask is are the eggs fertile?
If they are fertile then the fact is one is stealing their potential offspring.
I would be a bit concerend if people didn't even pause to think about this issue even if they still decided to take the eggs.
I don't feel any guilt in removing unfertile eggs, even from under a broody.
Fertile eggs, particularly if the hen is sitting does make me think, not guilty as such but fully aware of what I am in fact doing.

I only have hens so the eggs are all infertile. Not that she understands that, but at least I’m not wasting her time.

 

[Crow_]

*sigh* yes. The last time, I just made an omelette and promised her chicks when the weather warms up. The first time though, I went “noooooooo, not the babies!” And I put 3 eggs in my incubator. It was a bit of a wreck, one didn’t make it to hatch, the others both hatched a day early, one with a messed up yolk sack and the other with veins bleeding in the eggshell. The two that made it are doing ok now, and I have no regret! I hope they are both hens, because I don’t want to sell them after going through all that.(I don’t cull my chickens for moral reasons)

Happy the two made it

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Not really. If it's going to end disastrous, I'd rather it ends before there are little ones that will die

 

[Debbie292d]

I know it’s just part of owning chickens, but I still feel a tinge of guilt when I take them and my hen starts grumbling.

Broody hens don't lay eggs, so where are those eggs coming from?

Right now it's too cold to do my method of breaking broody, but once it warms up, I put them across the yard from the coop in the rock floor dog kennel. I put food/water and they have shelter. At night, I open the gate and they run back to the coop for the night. The next day, I take the broody(s) to the dog kennel.

It takes about 4 times and they magically aren't broody anymore!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Broody hens don't lay eggs, so where are those eggs coming from?

Other hens