Brooding hen...starving Help!

[ParadiseHens]

Aloha,
My hen has been sitting for about a week now. I saw her get off 3 days ago to eat. I'm not sure if she has gotten off again. I'm sitting in the hen house often and observing. In wondering if I too should pick her up and show her the food and water? I don't want to stress her, but I do want to make sure she has food and water.
I appreciate your input and experience.
1st time hatcher,
PH

 

[coffeychicks]

My broody just hatched her clutch. My recommendations is to put food and water within her reach from her eggs. Yes they lose weight but I haven't ever heard of one killing themselves by not eating. Best of luck

 

[AmericanMom]

I had a determined broody, I had to put her food and water next to her, she wouldn't even get off the next to poop, just kinda move her bum off to the side, still fouled the nest, so every two days I would pick her up and set her about 5 feet from the nest and if she looked like she would go right back I would just make her stop, it usually worked and she would poop and I would let her return...After one of the chicks hatched she pooped big time on the nest covering the 4 remaining eggs that had pipped and the chick...I weighed my options and went ahead and got a bowl of hot water, took it all the way out to the broody pen and cleaned everyone up, even momma's bum... It was super gross!!! But the eggs were no worse for wear and all five chicks hatched.

 

[Coopnana]

My first time Broody hen was the same way...I swear she never got off the eggs to eat or poop..and just before hatch day or temperatures were frigid...and continue to be frigid for the next week. Finally she's eating and drinking, pooping away from the nest. I only let her w/ one chick and moved the other chicks in with the ones that had hatched in an incubator. I didn't see the baby chicks drinking. The ones I brought in drank like crazy at first. I thought she was protecting them from the frigid temperatures. All are doing well and the temperatures are near normal.

 

[heritagegirls1]

Our Hen hatched 9/12 eggs on February 9th. While she was setting the eggs we would take her off once everyday and set her on the ground near food and water. I would usually clean an area on the floor with a push broom then put down some scratch and layer pellet as well as a 1 cup or so of warm oatmeal (the heartier the better). She loved the oatmeal and I felt better knowing she was getting some fluids. She would usually eat for about 7-10 minutes preen herself and have a large poop, then start clucking concernedly and head back to her nest. She was never off the nest for more that 15 minutes and on colder nights she was very quick <5 minutes. She seemed to know how long the eggs could take with out her. The first few times I hung around and made sure she got back on her eggs, but not always as she was so faithful.

Hope this helps.

PS. I never fed her in the nest as its important for them to get up and moving to aid their bowels. The activity helps with peristalsis (contraction of intestines) and keeps them regular (at least from my experiance)!

Good luck on your hatch!

 

[aljeffers]

We are on day 4 of sitting; and I am already worried about my girl. I put food in with her, but I can't tell if she is eating, I set her out and try to get her to drink water and she wont. I have used a syringe to make sure she gets water, but how much is enough?

 

[donrae]

I never do anything special with my broody hens. I figure they have enough instincts not to starve to death. Hens have reproduced this way for thousands of years, and it wouldn't be a very efficient way to reproduce if the mother suicided, would it? I don't put food or water closer than normal, they need to get off the nest and move around, dust bathe, poop, etc. They only do it once a day or so, so they need to get as much movement in there as possible. Don't syringe feed or water a bird, that's dangerous and totally unnecessary. If you're really concerned, just go out there once a day and bump her off the nest.

 

[heritagegirls1]

I found with my broody she wasn't getting off the nest either. We would lift her off once every day in the evening. I made a watery oatmeal mixture and would put that down alongside of normal layer pellet and some scratch. The oatmeal was a hit, and I felt better knowing she was getting fluids. She would usually eat a bit, Poop, preen herself and cluck cluck back to her brood, usually off the nest about 7-15 minutes, but it was -25 Celcius outside so I wouldn't be surprised if your hen stays off a little longer. After doing this for about 5 days, I noticed big broody poops in hen house and knew she was getting off on her own on the sly, so I no longer moved her. If you are noticing gargantuan poops she is getting up, you may be missing it.
Also I wouldn't recommend putting food in her nest as broody hens keep a clean box.
Good luck!

Your hen will lose weight but pick it up when she hatches her brood!

 

[aljeffers]

Thank you so much for the info. I will try the runny oatmeal today. I got her off the next yesterday, and she finally ran around and scratched a little, but she didn't eat or drink much. Thanks again.

 

[coffeychicks]

I keep food close to my broodies nest and take mine off of her nest daily never had a problem with dirty nest or hen not pooping but also she didn't lose as much weight either. However her nest has an A frame cover over it and the food goes under the cover which makes it within her reach