Any help with some more first-time broody questions?

[buckabucka]

I just moved my broody hen to a sectioned off area of the coop. I moved her at night, and she settled in on the new nest. I'll be giving her a couple of my shipped eggs that are about day 11 in the incubator within a couple of days.

Do I have to slip the eggs under her at night, or can I just swap out her fake eggs for hatching eggs any time?

Should I force her off the nest to eat, drink, and poop, and if so, how often?

Today, I brought her a spinach leaf, which she gobble up, and then soon she wanted out of her prison, throwing herself at the screened partition she is in. When I opened her pop door, she went racing around like crazy, - scratching in the dirt, drinking, pooping, but eating only a little. She scratched at her head and preens a lot, flaps her wings, etc. Is this a normal symptom of being still for so long, or should I worry about the scratching at her head?

Should I throw her out once a day, or wait until she is trying to escape her screened area?

Once she returned to the coop (20 minutes later), she went back to her old nest box, but when I moved her back to the partitioned area and showed her the new nest, she seemed to remember suddenly and went back to sitting.
I appreciate any thoughts on how to deal with this crazy broodiness!
Thanks.

 

[WingingIt]

I may have missed another post, but how long ago did she go broody?

Does she have food, water and grit available close by in her secure area? As long as she's got the necessities nearby, I wouldn't let her in and out of the smaller area, I'd just leave her in there so she'll get used to it. I never threw mine off the nest, never had one that got so down that I needed to. Mine always got up to eat/drink/poop at least once a day on their own.

I'd switch the eggs at night just because it's less likely to rile her up. As for the scratching, could be just stretching out after sitting still so long, but check her for mites (the scratching) the next time you have your hands on her, just in case.

 

[buckabucka]

Thanks. I think she has been broody for just over a week. We tried to break her of it, - she spent 3 1/2 days in a wire bottom cage, but still was broody when she came out. We pulled her off the nest a few times, and finally, since I have eggs in the incubator anyway, I decided to give her a couple and let her brood.

She has food and water (I'll have to add grit), but she never seems to eat and was losing weight.

How do I check for mites? Are they easy to see?

Thanks for your help!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Quote:
I would make the switch at night. I've had more than a few broodies, some were more fierce [vicious] than others, but dealing with them at night seems to agitate them less than during the day.

The first broody (and maybe even the second) I had I would use a shovel (some really are downright vicious) to scoop her off the nest and make her eat/drink. This seemed to irritate her more than anything, so I now leave them to their own devices. Of course I make sure food & water are close by and plentiful but I leave it up to her to eat/drink/poo/dustbathe etc.

If you haven't already, it is a good idea to mark the eggs as other girls may try to lay in her nest while she is taking her daily break. I wouldn't worry about the scratching too much unless you see her do it for several days in a row. I know if I were sitting for 23.75 hours a day I'd act strangely during my one break! My broodies make the oddest noise when they're off the nest and the roo always comes running to investigate. I've seen them puff their feathers, have a good dust bath, drink like camels, pig out and stretch out in the sun and generally relax; I'm sure the scratching is just part of the relaxing.

Good luck! There really is nothing cuter than watching a momma hen mother her baby chicks

 

[buckabucka]

Thank you! Luckily, she is not vicious. The shovel image had me laughing (although I imagine it wasn't funny at the time!)

If I pick her up off the nest, she stays flat like a pancake.

I suppose I should leave her to eat when she likes, and let her out only if I see her throwing herself against the screened partition. The partitioned area has a separate pop-door, so no one else can get in her nest area (I keep an eye on things if she is out and about). The noises and feather puffing when she runs around outside are very entertaining! She's like a big puffy turkey!

 

[kano]

Quote:

. + 2. (Check her head :mites) Does she have a place were to bath in sand or soil or ashes? VERY important in a broody ""apartament"".

 

[buckabucka]

Oh, thanks! I will put a dust bathing tray in her enclosure. There is no access to sand/dirt unless she goes outside, but I have a dust bath tray they use in the winter, so I'll fill that up for her.

I hope the eggs I give her will hatch, - I'm looking forward to seeing her mother the chicks!