Broody hen advice

[junior67]

Broody hens prefer to eat when no-one is looking.

Gently feel her crop. If it has food in it, she did eat when you were not looking, and you can quit worrying.

If you want to practice finding the crop, you can grab any other chicken for comparison. An empty crop is difficult or impossible to find, so if you find the crop, that generally means there is food in it.

A broody hen does not need to eat as much food as an actively laying hen, for several reasons:
--she is not laying eggs
--she is not exercising as much
--she reabsorbs the egg yolks in her body
--she uses fat that was stored in her body

The egg yolks and stored fat are nature's way of providing for a broody hen, even if she cannot spend many minutes each day hunting for food. Yes, she will lose some weight as she uses those up, but that should not hurt her.

I have a camera in my coop and run so I can see if she gets up at all. So I know she hasn't been up yet but hoping later she will take a quick run out for some food, water, and a broody poop. Lol

 

[junior67]

She got up and went out to eat, drink and have a dust bath. . Now back in but went back to the wrong nest box again. I moved all the fake eggs to hers hoping that would help..... Since I am not giving her eggs till Sun-Wed should I give her another day or so then if I notice she is in the wrong box try to move her?

Her is a pic of her enjoying her dust bath

 

[junior67]

Well she was off for around a half hour. Went back to the wrong nest box for about 30 min. Now back out again for a bit. I bet when she goes back this time it will be to the right box.

 

[junior67]

She hasn't been off at all today. Not once. I will do my best not to worry unless she doesn't get off tomorrow. It is almost 6 and they head in around 730 so she has a bit of time.

Ugh the eggs haven't shipped which means I won't have them till Mon or Tue....

 

[SilverBirds]

She hasn't been off at all today. Not once. I will do my best not to worry unless she doesn't get off tomorrow. It is almost 6 and they head in around 730 so she has a bit of time.

Ugh the eggs haven't shipped which means I won't have them till Mon or Tue....

If you are worried about her, you can place food and water next to her so she doesn't have to get off the nest. Glad to here that she is for real broody! Not so good about the eggs though.

 

[NatJ]

If you are worried about her, you can place food and water next to her so she doesn't have to get off the nest. Glad to here that she is for real broody! Not so good about the eggs though.

Another option if you are worried about her:
You can lift her off the nest and sit her beside the food & water.
She will probably gobble some food and then go back to the nest.

Unlike placing food & water near the nest, this gives a higher chance of her pooping while off the nest, rather than pooping in the nest where it would make a nasty mess.

 

[junior67]

Another option if you are worried about her:
You can lift her off the nest and sit her beside the food & water.
She will probably gobble some food and then go back to the nest.

Unlike placing food & water near the nest, this gives a higher chance of her pooping while off the nest, rather than pooping in the nest where it would make a nasty mess.

Thanks. Maybe if she isn't off tomorrow morning I will try to lift her off.

But if it is ok she doesn't get off then I can try to be patient. I just don't want her getting weak.

 

[NatJ]

But if it is ok she doesn't get off then I can try to be patient. I just don't want her getting weak.

She will probably be fine.

I've read of a few broodies that would not get off to eat, and got weak or even died, but it appears that the vast majority DO get off frequently enough to eat & stay healthy.

 

[junior67]

She will probably be fine.

I've read of a few broodies that would not get off to eat, and got weak or even died, but it appears that the vast majority DO get off frequently enough to eat & stay healthy.

Thank you. I will just see what she does tomorrow. She got off yesterday from 3-5 and ate and drank a few times then. Today was cloudy and chillier here so maybe that is why she stayed on? Tomorrow should be sunny and warmer so hopefully she gets off then.

 

[junior67]

I am going to let my other girls go in and lay and once they are done (so Ditzy feels safer) if she still doesn't go out then I am taking her out since she has been on there for about 40 hrs now with no break and it will be another couple hours till the girls are done laying.