HELP!!!! WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT ROTTEN EGGS UNDER A HEN ????

[Myst4]

I have a broody hen who is on day 11. I have tried to candle some of her eggs,but she protests(I put the eggs under her). Anyway, I have noticed a foul smell coming from her general direction.I think there is a rotten egg or maybe more under her. I don't know if all of the eggs were fertile.I know for sure that one is from when I did get to candle an egg or 2 ...dodging her pecks(and I do it late at night). So, if she has a rotten egg or more under her what should I do? Should I force her off the nest and find the rotten eggs? or should I just leave her alone?

 

[Fredster]

I've got two broody girls right now. When I need to get under them I either just reach in and pull eggs out, or center my hand palm up under their breastbone/gut and lift them out. They stay pretty limp.

They squawk and growl at me, but no one's tried to peck me yet.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
Well what timing..I just got back from the chicken coop. i went out to collect eggs and noticed that the broody hen had left her nest and had gotten out of the pen she was in... The eggs were alone! So, initially,I had placed 14 eggs under her, there are only 10 now and I sniffed each one of them....none stunk!!!! The 10 were ok...just a bit cool("Ol'Lady" couldn't get back in the pen) Anyway, while she was away, I cleaned the pen out and put new hay under the eggs,filled her water dispenser and put fresh food down for her. Then I had to get her back inside of the coop to get her back on her nest. I let her stretch her legs a bit etc. and then she jumped up on the perch and I grabbed her and put her back. She snuggled down on the eggs right away.... and that's all she wrote lol. When there is a lot more detail than that , with the other hens trying to get in the broody hens pen etc. lol..what a job and a half !!!!!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Don't hens usually know when the eggs are bad and kick them out by themselves? This is what I've heard anyway. I would just let her decide.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
I've heard that too, so that's why I haven't done anything(except today with sniffing the eggs) Out of the 14 EE eggs I put under her,there are 10 left, so I figure that those ones are good. But the terrible smell that was coming from there was like rotten eggs. Maybe it was left over of the eggs she destroyed...no signs of them at all.

 

[Chicken Cluck]

Hmmmmm. I thought the hen would decide if the egg was bad or not too. Maybe give her some food away from the nest so you can grab the eggs when she's out of the nest? Good Luck!

 

[My Little Sister's Farm]

5 years ago I had turkeys. My turkey hens wouldn't get rid of the stinky ones so I finally went in there. They had already broken and eaten them, it was stinky, but they were willing to do that I guess. I'd take them from them before it gets to that point - I mean come on, that can't be healthy!

 

[Myst4]

My Little Sister's Farm :

5 years ago I had turkeys. My turkey hens wouldn't get rid of the stinky ones so I finally went in there. They had already broken and eaten them, it was stinky, but they were willing to do that I guess. I'd take them from them before it gets to that point - I mean come on, that can't be healthy!

When my hen left the eggs for a short time,I checked all of the eggs...none were rotten.But out of the 14 I put under her,there are only 10 left, so I guess she has already done away with the rotten ones...ewwwww.​

 

[Chicken Cluck]

Do you think it's very weird how hens get rid of their eggs?

 

[joebryant]

I read someplace that a broody hen's manure stinks to all heaven, and that the manure should be scraped up after she goes on the floor or wherever. I'm not sure, but the article MIGHT have said that it's only the first one after she starts setting.