I keep finding broken eggs under my broody hen

[AYoung90]

I have a broody hen sitting on eggs. They should start to hatch in two or three days. However, the last two days I have gone out to check on her & her eggs, I have found a broken egg (& a dead, mostly developed chick ) under her with the other eggs. Along with the ruined egg, I keep finding a new egg from one of my EEs, that Broody has not been sitting on. This has happened twice now, & both times I've cleaned it all out & replaced the nesting material. Do you think the EE is eating the eggs while she sneaks in to lay her egg? I've tried moving Broody & her eggs to our second coop (where I plan to move everyone once the eggs hatch), but she's not having it, she wants to stay in her original box. I guess I should separate the possible EE culprits for now? Is it possible Broody is eating her eggs? I feel like the new EE egg is a clue, but really I have no idea.... any thoughts?

 

[AidKD]

Hmmm, I would try separating the EE first. It seems unlikely that the mother would start breaking her eggs this far into it if she's been faithful.

 

[nuthatched]

Close off that box from the other birds, they're fighting

 

[WingsysRoost]

My guess would be that one of the EEs is going in and destroying the broody's eggs.

I think I did hear a story once about a duck that began breaking her eggs later in the incubation process, but I would think that is far less likely if your hen has been fine for this long.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Can you post a photo of one of the ruined eggs next time it happens? There are particular signs to look for if a chicken is eating it, or it's getting stepped on, or something else (rat? snake?) is messing with them.

Yes, separating them would help eliminate the culprit. I'd move broody mama to her new digs. It's always risky to move a broody hen with eggs (she might abandon the nest) - but you'd just have to try it and see. If you don't want to risk it, then move the EEs.

I've had great success with blocking a broody hen into her new nesting box with eggs, with a milk crate placed in front of it, and held in place with a couple of bricks. I put water and food in the crate where she could reach it but couldn't get out. If she wants to sit down, she must sit on her eggs. Nowhere else to go. After 2-3 days, she's fine and I remove the crate. This has worked for me several times.

There was one time I blocked a broody into a new space, but it was much bigger where she had room to move around. She was so upset at being moved she stomped and crushed all 13 eggs.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello! I’m sorry, but I don’t know why that’s happening or what’s causing it. The reason I joined this thread is because I also have a broody hen that was originally sitting on 10 eggs, but she now only has six or seven. I don’t know why, but once every few days when I go out to check on her, there is one less egg than the day before as well as dried yolk on the other eggs, and occasionally an eggshell left in the nest that has veins in the membrane. I don’t know why this is happening, but there aren’t usually any extra eggs in the nest, only once I found an egg from another hen that it had laid in the same nest. I think my broody is breaking her own eggs and eating them, but I’m not sure if it’s on accident or on purpose.

 

[AYoung90]

Thank you all! I think she did decide to hatch her eggs in one of the favorite nesting boxes, so it would make sense that other hens would fight her for it.

I tried one more time to move her to a new nest (this time i moved her at night), & she settled on them just fine without panicking. I hope I find her still there in the morning!!

 

[AYoung90]

Hello! I’m sorry, but I don’t know why that’s happening or what’s causing it. The reason I joined this thread is because I also have a broody hen that was originally sitting on 10 eggs, but she now only has six or seven. I don’t know why, but once every few days when I go out to check on her, there is one less egg than the day before as well as dried yolk on the other eggs, and occasionally an eggshell left in the nest that has veins in the membrane. I don’t know why this is happening, but there aren’t usually any extra eggs in the nest, only once I found an egg from another hen that it had laid in the same nest. I think my broody is breaking her own eggs and eating them, but I’m not sure if it’s on accident or on purpose.

It's frustrating isn't it? Based on the replies I've gotten, I'm wondering if other hens are fighting her for the box-- I think she chose everyone's favorite box to go broody in. I have a specific EE in mind that does favor that box... anyway, possibly other hens causing problems?
This kind of thing makes me seriously consider putting some kind of camera in my coop! I'm a SAHM so I'm out there a LOT, but i still miss some of their drama lol

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Haha yeah. I’ve thought about putting a game camera out there to monitor my chickens while I’m away or when I’m not out there, but they’re just so expensive!

 

[Ponypoor]

Hmmm, I would try separating the EE first. It seems unlikely that the mother would start breaking her eggs this far into it if she's been faithful.

Agreed - rather late to be doing this.