what to do about broody hen eating her fertilized eggs?

[Schickens]

It's not really a problem as it's perfectly normal and natural, even needed, for her to consume the eggs that are not developing. This keeps her from having a nest full of rotten eggs with the possibility of them getting broken and contaminating the nest for the other chicks.

I am so grateful to hear this. This is our first broody and we were excited to hatch some chicks, but I didn't seclude her and one by one her eggs disappeared and I've found two or three opened shells - no development, just runny egg.

 

[VAChix]

I have a broody on eggs at the moment. She is what I like to call my "free range" broody. She gets in and out of the pen on her own and managed to lay a hidden stash of 16 eggs (all hers). She's been on them approx 10-11 days now (as she is "free range" setting I'm not sure of the exact day she started.) Yesterday I went to check on her and two of the eggs were pushed out of the nest and broken, the contents gone. This morning when I checked on her there was another empty egg and she had moved the remaining 13 to the other side of the abandoned dogloo where she took up residence (I candled about 3 and all were growing. Didn't want to upset her too much.) I normally separate and cage my broodies at the point of set to be able to protect and keep tabs on them through the process. Also, when I set broody hens I set them with eggs that were laid that day as to retain the highest chance of viability. So with my "free range" broody the 1st egg was laid 16 days prior to the 16th egg. Follow me? The viability of the older eggs is decreased. Since this girl is my free ranger I thought it would be kind of cool to see how a chicken would do it in the "wild". Which is to say I have provided her with water (it's 90+ degrees some days) but nothing else. She will get off the nest about every other day to join the flock, eat, dirt bathe, etc for about 1/2 an hour and then return to the nest. My theory is, that even though she does leave to stretch, hydrate and eat, eating eggs is a normal part of a natural set. Out of the 16 eggs she laid herself, the chances of all being fertile is very slim. I believe she eats those that are bad or non viable to sustain herself through the set. The egg provides much needed nutrients and allows her to stay on the nest if she feels the need to do so. And yes, I spend wayyyyy too much time studying my chickens. Just my two cents.

 

[nomirawr1]

Sorry to dig up an old thread (it came up on a google search), but have just had a hen do this. Day 15, eggs candled less than 18hrs ago, all growing and developing and moving. Come morning, all chicks are without shells & yolks, and hen is up and trying to get out of her little 'brood pen'. Had an earthquake last night, not sure if that affected her at all, or what, but damn. 4 perfectly formed little chicks, at appropriate development for day 13-15.

 

[Jlynn88]

I'm having the same problem! Today I Discovered She Has Now Eaten 3! My question is do I wash the remaining eggs?? They smell aweful! I'm not sure if the smell is from the remnants of the 3 that she ate or if other eggs are bad! I'm new at this so any info would be great!

 

[Heath51937]

It’s day 18, and my hen pecked open an egg, I found it cold, with a developed chick, blood, and ants galore just outside of her feather range at the edge of her nest.
I’m not certain, but yesterday an egg had a pin sized hole in it that we thought might have been an early pipping (first batch of eggs).
She seems content to sit on the remaining 6 eggs, but gosh I’m nervous!