Mama hen crushed baby

[KDrake]

Have a broody hen. We kept taking her off the eggs hoping she would break (we had just had a hen hatch out 5 babies a couple weeks before) - didn't work. We picked out 3 eggs and put them under her.

1 broke and 1 didn't develop, so we were left with 1. It pipped last night. She's been in the nesting box. We tried moving her and her egg several times to a separate area with no success. Woke up this morning and it looked like it got stepped on. It was still moving at that time, but ultimately died.

I'm just really sad and don't know what to do. This hen has been sitting for over about 5-6 weeks now. I took the chick out and she continues to sit.

Do I give her more eggs and try again? Does she know her baby died and will she stop being broody?

Ugh, I hate when this happens

 

[chickens really]

Was she still with other Birds that had access to that nest and the peeping egg/Chick?

 

[KDrake]

Was she still with other Birds that had access to that nest and the peeping egg/Chick?

She was. We are pretty confident that she was the only one in that nesting box since last night, though.

We tried moving her last night to a separate space, where she was protected but could sill see everything and all the other chickens. She freaked out and rammed herself into the fence several times trying to escape. We let her go back to the nesting box and hoped for the best.

We have a different separate area where our other broody hen hatched her chicks. They are now with the rest of the flock, but they still sleep in there. We thought about trying that and seeing if she would stay in if we put a few eggs in there.

 

[ValerieJ]

I am so sorry for the loss of the chicks. That is so sad.

 

[chickens really]

She was. We are pretty confident that she was the only one in that nesting box since last night, though.

We tried moving her last night to a separate space, where she was protected but could sill see everything and all the other chickens. She freaked out and rammed herself into the fence several times trying to escape. We let her go back to the nesting box and hoped for the best.

We have a different separate area where our other broody hen hatched her chicks. They are now with the rest of the flock, but they still sleep in there. We thought about trying that and seeing if she would stay in if we put a few eggs in there.

Well I'm thinking another bird hopped in there and upset her once it heard Peeps because they will kill babies because the are Not hormonal enough to know better.

 

[Cyprus]

Take other mom and baby out and put this girl in there. You're probably better off just getting her young chicks before she starves herself to death.

 

[Shadrach]

Have a broody hen. We kept taking her off the eggs hoping she would break (we had just had a hen hatch out 5 babies a couple weeks before) - didn't work. We picked out 3 eggs and put them under her.

1 broke and 1 didn't develop, so we were left with 1. It pipped last night. She's been in the nesting box. We tried moving her and her egg several times to a separate area with no success. Woke up this morning and it looked like it got stepped on. It was still moving at that time, but ultimately died.

I'm just really sad and don't know what to do. This hen has been sitting for over about 5-6 weeks now. I took the chick out and she continues to sit.

Do I give her more eggs and try again? Does she know her baby died and will she stop being broody?

Ugh, I hate when this happens

No, don't give her any more eggs, or chicks.
Find a way to break her broodiness. There are plenty of guides here on BYC.