Hen abandoning nest

[rwilliams296]

Out of my flock of 12, I have one hen that goes broody. Her first brood was in March of 2017. She hatched 5 chicks...all roos. Her second brood occured in July 2018. 5 eggs, I think. We live in TX! Hot as hell in July! She was suffering and abandoned her nest after hatching only 2 eggs. Both roos...Figured the abandonment was due to the heat...as she moved her 2 chicks out into the run and abandoned the rest. Going through her 3rd brood, beginning late May. At one point she was sitting 9 eggs. I culled them down to 6 ( could tell that 3 weren't viable ). She eventually hatched one chick and had it free ranging with her at 2 days old. Checking her nest I could tell that she had another chick pipping...held the egg to my hear and could hear it chirping and tapping. She did return to the nest and hatched this chick...I was so relieved... The rest she abandoned... What can you do?

 

[Perris]

be thankful for the ones you get! It sounds like you are getting staggered hatches, with eggs being added as she goes along, and she is prioritising the hatched over the eggs. Maybe next time she goes broody, mark the eggs under her, add some laid the previous few days if you want (having marked them too), and remove any more that appear. Then they should hatch together.