Broody hen and stolen eggs

Hi guys,
One of my chickens went into broody "mode". I figured it will be easier on me if hen hatch and raise young ones, to have better integration with the flock.
I put 9 eggs under the hen one week ago, yesterday I checked and only 5 eggs under her. I looked all over the coop thinking maybe other hens rolled those eggs out, since they all want to lay now in the same place that the broody hen sits. However, I DID NOT find any trace of the missing eggs.
Hence, I have a two-fold question:
1. Who can possibly steal eggs from under the broody hen? FYI., I have an automatic door that always closes at night and opens around 7:30am.
2. Can I add more eggs to the same broody hen? Will she hatch them, or abandon them once the first chicks come out to this world? After all, the eggs will be one week apart in terms of when I put the first eggs and if I add new ones now.

Thank you.

SFBayArea said:

Hi guys,
One of my chickens went into broody "mode". I figured it will be easier on me if hen hatch and raise young ones, to have better integration with the flock.
I put 9 eggs under the hen one week ago, yesterday I checked and only 5 eggs under her. I looked all over the coop thinking maybe other hens rolled those eggs out, since they all want to lay now in the same place that the broody hen sits. However, I DID NOT find any trace of the missing eggs.
Hence, I have a two-fold question:
1. Who can possibly steal eggs from under the broody hen? FYI., I have an automatic door that always closes at night and opens around 7:30am.
2. Can I add more eggs to the same broody hen? Will she hatch them, or abandon them once the first chicks come out to this world? After all, the eggs will be one week apart in terms of when I put the first eggs and if I add new ones now.

Thank you.

Click to expand...

She will likely abandon them. It's possible that if they were dead or no good, that she destroyed them

SFBayArea said:

Hi guys,
One of my chickens went into broody "mode". I figured it will be easier on me if hen hatch and raise young ones, to have better integration with the flock.
I put 9 eggs under the hen one week ago, yesterday I checked and only 5 eggs under her. I looked all over the coop thinking maybe other hens rolled those eggs out, since they all want to lay now in the same place that the broody hen sits. However, I DID NOT find any trace of the missing eggs.
Hence, I have a two-fold question:
1. Who can possibly steal eggs from under the broody hen? FYI., I have an automatic door that always closes at night and opens around 7:30am.
2. Can I add more eggs to the same broody hen? Will she hatch them, or abandon them once the first chicks come out to this world? After all, the eggs will be one week apart in terms of when I put the first eggs and if I add new ones now.

Thank you.

Click to expand...

I had the same thing happen. I had one go broody about 4 weeks ago. I didn’t need the chicks as I’ve already got 15 pullets this spring but didn’t want to discourage her. I let her have 5. After about a week one was MIA. No sign of shell or anything. I moved her to a separate pen and few days later another one was missing but found the shell across the pen empty. Of the 3 she had left 2 hatched. I had went to tractor supply to get a couple just in case they didn’t hatch/died. Momma has 6 babies and all are doing great.

SFBayArea said:

2. Can I add more eggs to the same broody hen? Will she hatch them, or abandon them once the first chicks come out to this world? After all, the eggs will be one week apart in terms of when I put the first eggs and if I add new ones now.

Click to expand...

I would not add new eggs at this stage.

A hen can sit on eggs, or she can mother the chicks that have hatched, but she cannot do a good job of both at the same time. If she gets off the nest to lead the chicks to food, the eggs get chilled. This is not a problem in the first day or two, because the chicks absorb the yolk just before they hatch, and that provides their food for up to three days. But a week is definitely too long for them to stay in the nest waiting for the slowpokes to hatch.

Thank you guys. So NO new eggs, got it.

Any idea what could be stealing her eggs during the daytime? Property is fully inclosed, so no other humans can still it. I have dogs, but they don't go into the coop.
My coop is also up on the 4x4 about chest high, with five steps up.

Do you think if I move the hen to a different nesting box and fully enclose her (but of course give her food and water and let her out few times a day) she will not abandon brooding halfway?

I wonder if there is a snake of some kind getting them since there are no shell pieces.

I wonder the same thing and how to catch it in the act of stealing.

SFBayArea said:

Do you think if I move the hen to a different nesting box and fully enclose her (but of course give her food and water and let her out few times a day) she will not abandon brooding halfway?

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It depends on the hen. Some hens will accept a move, and some will not.
I have no idea about your particular hen.

SFBayArea said:

I wonder the same thing and how to catch it in the act of stealing.

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Put some golf balls or fake eggs under her. Be sure to keep track of how many you put under her. See if any come up missing.

NatJ said:

I would not add new eggs at this stage.

A hen can sit on eggs, or she can mother the chicks that have hatched, but she cannot do a good job of both at the same time. If she gets off the nest to lead the chicks to food, the eggs get chilled. This is not a problem in the first day or two, because the chicks absorb the yolk just before they hatch, and that provides their food for up to three days. But a week is definitely too long for them to stay in the nest waiting for the slowpokes to hatch.

Click to expand...

Yes, exactly! Exact same situation happened with me and i had to make the choice to unfortunately discard a sebright egg because it didn’t look good to me so she could walk with the others.

OP: Like NatJ said, my broody sat on the nest, and even though she had chicks, she would not leave the nest like she should have. I noticed an egg, though on day 21, almost 22, there was no pip, cheeping, nothing. Her chicks were ready to explore, but she didn’t budge. Once i removed the egg she foraged with them instantly and took them around the yard.

You are right though, on day 21 & 22 its less of a issue cause they won’t be so prone to explore, but one hatched earlier then the others, so wanted to explore a bit more, and if it went on longer, she definitely wouldn’t be able to do both.