Why do her eggs keep going bad?

[Goat_Walker]

Ok, SO I have this magpie hen, SHarpie, who is the BEST mama.

Well around the end of March she had a nest of 18 or so eggs. By April 12th they were all rotten and had to be throw out. I re - did the entire house with new hay, formed her a nest, and put some other eggs in there from another nest and what I Had found around the yard.


By april 15th They were bad. I threw them out and gave her four more. I checked this morning, and not only are their egg shells in the yard but her other three eggs smell ROTTEN!


Why is this?!


Her daughter Bandit is also having the same problem. SHe had a nest of 20 or so and they all went rotten. So on the 15th I redid her nesting house, gave her a few new eggs. then today I go out there and all the eggs are GONE! And the nest was demolished.



Could I have a snake problem? I havent even seen a snake yet this year! They are both really good moms and im sure the eggs are fertile so why are they going bad?

 

[paddock36]

Has the hen went broody? The post sounds like you gave her eggs to set on but she's not broody. If the hen's not broody and setting on the eggs to hatch them, then they are just going to go bad.

 

[Goat_Walker]

She has been broody since March. WHen she first started setting I thought some might go bad since she waited so long to start - but she has been broody everyday since, only taking a break to eat and drink like normal.

 

[19hhbelgian]

You mentioned that you were giving her eggs you found in the yard... Are you positive the eggs you're finding are fresh?

 

[Wifezilla]

Isn't your drake a bit "elderly"?

 

[Goat_Walker]

Yep, teh eggs are fresh, I go on an egg hunt every afternoon/morning. And I have four drakes and the scovie drake. Three are around 7 months, then the 13 y/o and then my 6 m/o scovie drake.

 

[sourland]

Too many eggs in a nest, eggs that are too old, drakes may be mating the hens while the are on the nest. All are recipes for disaster. 18 or 20 eggs are far too many for one hen to cover effectively.

 

[Goat_Walker]

I knew some of the eggs would be too old for her to work with, but All of them going Bad? I have young spring filled drakes as well as he old geezer. And the drakes dont bother the nesting hens - they wouldnt dare. Mama gives them a chew out. Plus all my drakes are good boys. The three young ones dont even care because they have their other girls, but my old geezer drake will sit right outside her nest house with her, like he is keeping her company. I dont have the problem of them mating on the nest. Have never seen it with my stock or others in the past four years ive had ducks.

In november she had a nest of twenty. 16 hatched. 2 werent fertile, and the other two never made it out of the shell.

 

[sourland]

Ever hear of one bad apple spoiling the barrel? One rotten egg can spoil the entire clutch. A moist warm nest is a great environment for bacteria to grow.

 

[Goat_Walker]

That makes sense. I just never knew it could spread so quickly! Ugh. I feel so bad for her! Ill just have to wait till she gives up since I have nothing to put under her.