Hens ate unhatched chicks

[Rivergirl06]

HELP !!! I went out and candled the broody hens egg while she was out eating. It only had a dot in it so I tossed it out, I took two eggs from the game hen since she was sitting on 7 so they would all hatch at the same time, I wasn't home yesterday so I didn't turn the chickens out to free range because I knew I wouldn't be home till after dark, didn't want to leave the pen open for something to get in there and kill my flock. well today I went out to clean the coop preparing for the new babies arrival, didn't want them hatching in a smelly coop. Well I couldn't find the two eggs that I put under the broody barred rock but I did find one of the babies with it's belly ate out. Three days before hatching, I was horrified. I think I know which hen it was but can't pin point exactly, so I took two fake eggs and put under the barred rock, hoping when the 5 eggs hatch in a day or two I can slip her one of the babies. I guess the culprit ate two eggs and a baby because I only found one body. I know they were viable eggs because I had candled them.

 

[Aapomp831]

Nature is a b****. I’m sorry this happened.

 

[Finnie]

Is there any chance a predator can get in there and steal eggs?

 

[CluckerFamily]

I am so sorry this happened.

 

[Rivergirl06]

Is there any chance a predator can get in there and steal eggs?

No, i Have the wire running under ground all the way around. I'm sure it was another hen, nothing can get in there.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

What about mice? They can do a ton of damage to broody nests

 

[Weeg]

I've read that ducks will eat the shell of dead eggs, and then drag the bodies away from nest so that predators wont be led to the next by dead eggs.
I would be careful when cleaning out that coop, I found a ducklings body like this burred in dirty bedding. When I grabbed a handful of straw to put in a bucket, a dead duckling fel out.
Would a hen do this to? Was the belly eaten out, or just on the outside of the chicks body?

 

[Weeg]

Alos, you should keep the food and water out of her reach. Then she has to get up to eat and drink, and wont poop on the eggs. If she doesn't have to get up, she will poop all over the eggs introducing bacteria to the nest.

 

[Rivergirl06]

What about mice? They can do a ton of damage to broody nests

I don't think so, one of the hens had the squirts all day yesterday. I have the game hen in a dog kennel inside the coop. I left the broody barred rock in the bottom nest where she was, the kennel takes up most of the free space so space is limited, I'll remove it when the eggs she's sitting on hatches. Should be any day now. I'll post picks when they hatch. I've got 8 hens and 4 nesting boxes, when a hen would go in to lay an egg I noticed the barred rock would move to a different nest and leave her eggs for other hens to lay, I would have to go out and remove the fresh egg and put her eggs back under her. Not even sure I want to give her a baby when they hatch, she doesn't seem the motherly type.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

If you already have a broody to raise chicks, you should just break the barred rock. I'm sorry about your unhatched babies.