We lost an egg 😭

[Mya05]

We are allowing our broody hen, Stormy, to incubate 3 eggs. A few of our hens have joined her, and take turns sitting on the eggs while Stormy goes for a dust bath, eats, and drinks. Our largest hen, Black Widow, sat on them today. She was too heavy, and cracked one open just by sitting on it It had feet and everything! I am at a loss in how to stop her from sitting on them again!!!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

When I have a broody, I separate her and her eggs to avoid other chickens getting near the eggs and to avoid them laying more eggs in the clutch. It's cool that your other hens are helping your girl out, bad sad about what happened. I had worse. Before I started separating the broodies, I marked my eggs so I wouldn't get any confused. Well, apearentlly I had accidentally collected one, brought it camping and my Mom hard boiled it. We cracked the shell off and discovered that there was a half grown chick inside! Then, on the other eggs that was under my broody, none hatched! So, the hard boiled one would of been the only one that hatched! And, that would of been my first hatch ever on top of things! I've been separating broodies ever since.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It might be too late to try moving your mama to be, so I suggest blocking the other hens off. I had a top of a rabbit cage that I was able to lean against a broody's nesting box once so my other birds couldn't get to her, but she could still have space. Then, as soon as all the chicks hatched, I instantly removed them and put them in a broody coop. On my bantams, I'd have the others in a chicken tractor made out of large dog crates to keep them away from the broody during the day.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Or, if all else fails, separate Black Widow with a couple of other hens so she doesn't get lonely.