Egg Eating Broody

[youngchooklover]

I have had two 7-month old pullets go broody without much warning. The first (Silkie-Polish-Mille Fleur x) was happy to be transferred to a dog crate and sit on an assortment of eggs, which are due to hatch this week.

The second, an OEG, sat for the first night and then seemed agitated and wanted out of the crate. I had put 5 OEG and 2 standard eggs under her. When I let her out of the crate all the OEG eggs were gone and only the 2 standard eggs remained. Why would eat them? (I haven't had any issues with egg eating) And will she continue?

This has happened to me I had 1 hen broody and each day she would eat 1 egg.
I couldn't stop her.

 

[skullgrrrl]

I just went out to the coop and she's back sitting in the nest box - maybe she's gearing up to being full-on broody and I need to give her another day or two before confining her.

 

[Mrs. K]

Often times, I get too anxious to start a broody, only to have her leave the nest. But I have never had one eat all the eggs. Sometimes an egg has gotten broke over all the others and that is a mess.

My advice (I never follow it, haha) is to wait tilll they are broody 4-5 days... generally I can make myself wait two days till I gather up eggs.

Good luck.

 

[skullgrrrl]

Yes, I've had a hen break an egg (or two) when they were a bit vigorous with gathering the eggs under them. This one managed to eat 5 eggs overnight! (admittedly they are small, but so is she).

I'll give her a few more days and if she's sitting in the nest box full time (not just at night) I'll try her in the crate with some eggs again.