What is going on here??? Strange things happening in my broody pen!

[mamalindley]

I have a broody mama in her own private chicken tractor. Shes been sitting for 7 days now. She is sitting on 8 (now 7) eggs. Today I find this on the OPPOSITE side of the tractor as her nest. A single egg shell broken into and the insides gone, I assume eaten? Did she so this?? If so, why??? Could it just be that this egg wasnt developing and she knew that? Or does this look like the mark of a predator? I don't know how anything could have gotten in and back out of the tractor ....and if it was a predator, it seems like more than one egg would be missing? Any help appreciated!

 

[mamalindley]

 

[Isaac 0]

Does she have oyster shells available?

 

[mamalindley]

She doesn't have oyster shells. I've got her on chick starter since she isn't laying. Should she have oyster?

 

[Isaac 0]

Yes egg shells have calcium that why they will eat them just make sure the chicks cant eat the oyster shells bad for there kidneys

 

[Teila]

Hi there mamalindley

I was also thinking snake or rodent, rat may be.

As you mention, with her brooding and not laying, she does not need the additional calcium and probably would not eat oyster shell if it was available.

 

[Isaac 0]

I thought snake too but wouldn't it eat the whole egg?

 

[mamalindley]

Hi there mamalindley

I was also thinking snake or rodent, rat may be.

As you mention, with her brooding and not laying, she does not need the additional calcium and probably would not eat oyster shell if it was available.

What Can I do to make the broody pen more secure? It's pretty tight. It's just a small pen with chickens wire all the round, including the top, and a small locking plywood door so that we can replace the food and water, check on her, etc. We're going out tonight to make sure there are no other broken eggs underneath her. Her nest is a rubber mate tote on the ground.

 

[Teila]

I thought snake too but wouldn't it eat the whole egg?

Yeah, not sure. Could it have dragged it off the nest to swallow elsewhere and it broke so it just ate the contents?

 

[Teila]

What Can I do to make the broody pen more secure? It's pretty tight. It's just a small pen with chickens wire all the round, including the top, and a small locking plywood door so that we can replace the food and water, check on her, etc. We're going out tonight to make sure there are no other broken eggs underneath her. Her nest is a rubber mate tote on the ground.

Sorry, I have not had any snake or rat issues but I do know that someone was in the same predicament as yourself just this last week or so and what she did is mentioned on this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1137756/broody-hen-eating-her-own-eggs

Hope it helps and fingers crossed for a successful hatch