It ’s disheartening to open your chicken coop ’s next box only to find pecked or crushed eggs indoors . Even worse is when those eggs were destined to be baby chick in a week or two .
Unfortunately , nest accidents do bump , even to experienced mama hens . Last summertime , my 5 - twelvemonth - old Alex contentedly brooded over a grip of 11 egg . This became eight ballock , then five ballock , then finally one lonely egg .
Do n’t allow these enate mischance to make you miserable . Instead , postdate these five steps to handle this scrambled situation .
Decontaminate the Hen
If you have a brood hen , remove her from the nest and check her underside for residue from the smashed ball . You sometimes want to clean hens after nest accidents .
Dampen a rag towel in warm water to which a dollop of antibacterial coop has been tot . Gently clean your razz , always scrubbing in the guidance of the feathers , not against .
This might be a two - person job should your hen prove uncooperative . Wrap her in a warmed ironic towel to terminate the dry out process and console her jangled nerves .
Do Damage Control
Carefully try out the nest before you get to remove the disordered contents . Are your eggs close to hatching ?
Check to see whether any orchis are far enough from the seepage to be uncontaminated , and move these to keep them unspoiled . If the testicle in the nest were shell eggs , or even if they were hatch eggs , your safe wager is to only toss of the entire nest and its capacity . This way , there is no potential threat of salmonella contaminant of the intact ball from the broken one .
expend an eco - well-disposed cleaning product such as Mrs. Meyer ’s to completely disinfect the nest arena , then put down brisk nesting cloth . If you ’ve removed a brood hen from her nest , you could return her now .
Evaluate the Birds’ Diet
delicate eggshells can often be attribute to insufficient calcium in your hens ’ diet . Laying hensrequire additional calciumin their diet to make strong eggshells .
Without decent calcium , a hen ’s reproductive organisation draws this vital mineral from the bird ’s own consistency , weakening her off-white and detrimentally affecting her wellness .
ascertain your flock ’s rations to see whether the feed features enough calcium to properly nourish a laying biddy . If not — or even if so — you might need to think offering a supplement such as crushed oyster shell , find at most feed shops and farm - supply stores .
Check for Crowded Quarters
want of space is another cause of eggshell cracking . The nest itself might be too small to fit all the eggs in your biddy ’s clench .
This is especially true if she is bulk large in your coop and other hens climb in with her to repose their egg in her nest . If nest size is the publication , considermoving your broody and her clutchto more private accommodations — such as a roomy rubber tote — for the remainder of her correct time .
When this is not an selection , use a pencil to mark the hatching eggs , then absent all unmarked eggs when you go out to pick up eggs .
If the cracked eggs are shell eggs , increase the frequency of your egg collection . Rather than doing it once in the early afternoon , pick up eggs first thing in the break of the day , then shortly after midday , then once again near nightfall .
Frequent orchis collection prevent the eggs from clutter the nest box and becoming a trip hazard for hens trying to maltreat their agency around and fail .
Bust the Boredom
Curiosity might kill the cat , but it also challenge the chicken .
If your hencoop or run minimally offer enrichment opportunities for your hoot , they might begin to find other mode to alleviate their boredom .
A collection of pretty oval eggs is the perfect draw for any young lady searching for a way to pass off the time . Her natural curiousness will further her to pick at at those newly point out treasures untilooops!her beak breaks through .
You need to monish these nest accident as swiftly as possible , because a pecked testis does not serve build your nest egg .
bestow some amusements to your run , such as a sandpile , a swing perch , a string of shining , swaying certificate of deposit , or a mounted head word of cabbage or ear of dehydrated corn . keep open your lot enthralled outside the cage will keep your ballock safely away from the odd .
