When I got home tonight I went to check on my broody hen that I thought was getting close to hatching time. Only to find her dead about a foot from the nest with the coop all a mess. Steve and I have been racking our brains about what could have happened to come up with hardly anything. She seems healthy when I checked on her this morning. Also she had a bit of it seemed green goop on her stomach where her feathers had been pulled out to help her with keeping her eggs warm. Also unfortunately I was never sure if the eggs were live cause I saw her out into the run with the other chickens a couple times when I came home - which I then quickly locked her in her coop by herself (with food and water). So naturally I started to crack the eggs, to find 3 or the 6 I cracked alive and breathing. Steve then smartly told me to not crack the rest of the eggs and put them under the girls that had just gone up to their nest for the night.
So, any ideas guys....She had food, water, good ventilation, seemed good in the morning. The coop is completely secure and the eggs were undisturbed so something getting into the coop is unlikely. Also I have no broody hens, we are just hoping the other girls stay on them overnight. Would hooking up a heat lamp work, the eggs are basically completely formed at this point, feathers, beaks, the whole nine yards.
HELP
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