Is she eating them?

[mackenziesmomma]

As of Monday, my broody hen has been sitting on eggs for 3 weeks. Some eggs were added along the way (pencil rubs off eggs so I just left all the eggs in the nest).

She is now by herself in a cage within the coop.

This morning when I checked on her I noticed there were a few broken shells but no little chickies.

Where'd they go? Could she be eating them?

 

[Marlinchaser]

She could be but if anything is eating them, I would bet it is other chickens if they chicks are able to get out of the cage. If in a dogcrate type cage and the chicks can squeeze through, other chickens might just see something small running and grab it. ? If they can not get out, I have heard of moms not taking very good care of youngins, but that is usaully rare.

 

[mackenziesmomma]

thanks for the reply. It is a plastic type dog crate on top of another cage, so the chicks can't get out.

How disapointing...

 

[Marlinchaser]

Could they(the broken eggs) have possibly been a newer egg that happened to get broken or an older one that didnt develope? Hopeing for the best.