Setting hen removed an egg from the nest and pecked it open dead chick

[Lakemuse.com]

Any idea why setting hen pecked egg open to reveal dead underdeveloped chick? Expected the eggs to begin hatching yesterday - Sunday (21 days in nest). She has 8 eggs left. I'm hoping they'll hatch soon. Might they all be dead?

 

[ScissorChick]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens!

I would't think they're all dead. Broodys will roll
bad eggs out of the nest, so this egg may have
been rolled out and cracked when it hit the
ground. If there are other chickens in the erea,
they could be responsible for cracking the egg.
It may have also been pushed out by accident.

 

[lockedhearts]

It happens, I had a hen setting and a week ago, two of hers got cracked open and I lost both chicks, but she hatched 2 babies this weekend and is a great mother. I would leave the rest and see what happens.

 

[Heathero617]

and here mine is...sitting on 2 duds. 1 never developed and the other has recently died >as far as i know< neither have any smell to them so i've left them with her...I think i'm still holding a teensy bit of hope for the 1 to be an oddball chick who just doesnt like to move that much.

 

[huntinwidow]

God gave nature an amazing ability to conserve energy and resources. The broody hen can detect temp. differences in unfertile or dead eggs. The live eggs will give off their own heat and she will kick out any egg that feels colder to her.

I wouldn't worry about the ones that she is still setting on. She'll know when it's time to give up.

 

[Lakemuse.com]

Makes sense the hen knows what she's doing. Thank you for your posts. I hope the eggs start hatching soon. Though it was terribly sad to see the little dead chick I was rather happily surprised to see how far along it developed. We recently had a large tornado come through our town of Phil Campbell and I wasn't sure the hen was able to maintain the eggs through the ordeal.

 

[Lakemuse.com]

Quote:
So sorry about your chicks that didn't make it... Thanks for taking the time to share your story with me. Glad she has a chance to express her motherhood. I can't wait for my hen to raise chicks. I've incubated chicks once but haven't seen a mama hen with chicks.

 

[Lakemuse.com]

Quote:
I'm holding on to hope with you. Wouldn't it be great to have a hatch? Fingers crossed!

 

[Heathero617]

Lakemuse.com :

Quote:
I'm holding on to hope with you. Wouldn't it be great to have a hatch? Fingers crossed!

Would be pure awsomeness to go out to feed here in an hour or so and find a peeping little fuzzball....but I highly doubt it. But i too have fingers, toes, eyes, whatever I can cross....crossed!​

 

[Silkie Sue]

I'm crossing a bunch of stuff here for you too