my hens gone maniac!?! what do i do?!

I would either put the eggs under another broody instead of her, or I would put them in an incubator. If you have neither one I would buy one and if you can't afford one I would ask a neighbor or a friend, perhaps they would have one you could borrow. I certainly wouldn't continue to let her kill them off.

 

I would fire up the incy and get them in there, although mommy chook may know there is something wrong that you don't. Is the broodie getting enough food and water?

 

You say she's doing it when you're gone, so are you sure she's the one that's breaking them and if so, how do you know? A broody hen gets up once or twice a day to eat, stretch out, take a poo, etc. Are you certain there isn't another hen doing the breaking? Since it's happening when you're gone I wouldn't be so sure it's her. How much bedding do you have under her for the eggs to rest on? Quite a bit? Is there a disturbance in the coop? (Like a rowdy roo or a bossy hen) that is disturbing her and causing her to break them accidentally? A hen will eat a broken egg whether she's the one that broke it or not.

Regardless of why this keeps happening, I would move the eggs the heck out of there and put them in an incubator to hatch out safely. Is this her first clutch?

 

It could be rats doing this too. I had that happen with a broody. I KNOW this girl wouldn't break her eggs or anything because she'd already raised many broods. But suddenly her eggs were coming up broken and partly eaten. It was rats. They'd wait till she got up and have lunch. I never saw any but some rat poison strategically placed ended the "egg eating."

 

Put her and the nest in a cage with food and water. You'll know within a day if it's her or not.

 

Hello,

It might be the large amount of eggs she is trying to hatch.


All though i have seen hens hatch 15+ eggs she might be breaking some due to room trying to push them under neath her or they might crack when she's mmoving around or pests might have bitten them etc..

Make sure not to stress out the hen either as that may be another cause.

Best of luck!

Regards

 

How is she doing now? Did you get any live chicks yet?