I am so frustrated with Broody #2. I only have 1 Black Copper Marans hen--who rarely lays. It was a huge stroke of luck to collect 8 eggs from her within a suitable timeframe for hatching. I've been trying to hatch more Marans in the incubator and after two large batches I have lots of chicks from other breeds and only 1 Marans (which ended up with crooked toes, so I won't keep). The BCM hen never lays eggs in time for them to make it into the bator.
So I was really getting my hopes up about these eight eggs. After a successful broody hatch #1, I thought it would be a great idea.
The hen is uncooperative and keeps moving nests. She has broken/eaten FIVE of her eggs in the last week. She's on Day 12 and only three remain. She's a year old and have no idea where she got the egg-eating habit, but I hate when they do that. Yolk all over the other eggs. I'm pretty sure it's her. She defies the partition method so I can't be 100% positive.
I have three batches of chicks of different ages. I cannot raise another batch by myself, which is why I need the hen to do it. Regardless I think her eggs have to go in the bator.
About the egg-eating: my laying hens are clumsy and do break eggs sometimes. I've had true 'egg-eaters' before but it seems that some of my broody hens have adopted the habit of doing it occasionally.