Hen eating eggs she is setting

[Thenewgoat]

I have a hen that started setting a while back she ate a her eggs but I thought maybe something got them so I reset her with 6 in a couple days I noticed all but two had wholes in them and where cast from the nest so I put dozen under her just to find it happened again now I was not sure why as I am new to this but I said I would try one more time and put another dozen under her and left her alone 2 weeks in I check and again no eggs left how do I fix this.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Don't use that hen. Not all are good mothers.

Is this hen separated from other birds?

 

[Thenewgoat]

Don't use that hen. Not all are good mothers.

Is this hen separated from other birds?

No they all run together free range

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes other birds will eat a setting hens eggs when she gets off the nest. So that could be what's happening too.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Make sure the rest of the flock can't get to her nest to be sure it's her, but if she's eating her eggs don't let her go broody anymore. Around my place if anyone starts eating eggs they become Sunday dinner. It's a bad habit in a hen, and she could potentially cause more hens to do the same.

 

[Shezadandy]

At this point I would break that broody - she's been broody for the three weeks or so if I'm reading your post right. Too long on the nest can adversely affect her health. Though maybe she's sustaining herself just fine on fertile eggs …

If you want to be 100% sure it's HER, put her in a crate with eggs (unfertilized from the store maybe) and see if those eggs disappear. I say use unfertilized because at least then it's not a developing egg if she is the culprit.

If she is the culprit- eliminate her from your would-be broody hens- break her every time. I've had reasonably good luck with most of my hens, but there are those that just got the wrong info downloaded in their tiny brains.

 

[Thenewgoat]

She only leaves the nest like once a week

 

[Thenewgoat]

Make sure the rest of the flock can't get to her nest to be sure it's her, but if she's eating her eggs don't let her go broody anymore. Around my place if anyone starts eating eggs they become Sunday dinner. It's a bad habit in a hen, and she could potentially cause more hens to do the same.

I only have 3 other hens so not a lot of chicken

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She only leaves the nest like once a week

Broody hens will leave the nest once a day. Generally early in the morning or late at night. You probably are missing it. If early in the morning the other birds are probably hungry and eggs on the ground are often eaten. It's one reason it's best to separate out or put a pen around a setting hen.