I know some folks worry that their broodies aen't getting enough to eat or drink, and will even take them off their nests periodically and put their beaks in their food & water dishes. I do NOT. If I'm going to trust a hen to have sufficient instincts to incubate eggs, I will also trust her to know how much food & water she herself needs to stay alive for the job. Also, I don't want to mess up her internal thermostat & timer.
It always amazes me how they know just how snugly to set on the eggs, how often and how long they can take their breaks. When it's chilly they'll press themselves almost flat across the nest and take only the briefest of breaks. When it's warm they will allow themselves longer breaks, maybe even a quick dust bath. I've even seen a hen standing up over her eggs one hot afternoon, as if she knew they needed a bit of air to cool them down.
And yes, those broody poops are impressive, both in size and smell!
They save it all for their break-times, and make up for a whole day's worth of pooping all at once.
I haven't noticed a dramatic weight loss in my broodies, but mine are bantams, light-weights to begin with. But since they're not being very active, I don't think they need to eat a lot & stay so fat. And they'll build themselves back up after the hatch.
This morning I went out to find my 2 Mama hens (who are sharing a small pen but who each have their own nest box) each with 2 dry fluffy chicks and 2 unhatched eggs. I think those are duds, I'll pull them out tonight if they still haven't pipped. The Mamas are trying to sort it all out between themselves & the chicks, trying to keep in mind which chicks are whose and which nest box to return to.
It always amazes me how they know just how snugly to set on the eggs, how often and how long they can take their breaks. When it's chilly they'll press themselves almost flat across the nest and take only the briefest of breaks. When it's warm they will allow themselves longer breaks, maybe even a quick dust bath. I've even seen a hen standing up over her eggs one hot afternoon, as if she knew they needed a bit of air to cool them down.
And yes, those broody poops are impressive, both in size and smell!
I haven't noticed a dramatic weight loss in my broodies, but mine are bantams, light-weights to begin with. But since they're not being very active, I don't think they need to eat a lot & stay so fat. And they'll build themselves back up after the hatch.
This morning I went out to find my 2 Mama hens (who are sharing a small pen but who each have their own nest box) each with 2 dry fluffy chicks and 2 unhatched eggs. I think those are duds, I'll pull them out tonight if they still haven't pipped. The Mamas are trying to sort it all out between themselves & the chicks, trying to keep in mind which chicks are whose and which nest box to return to.
