Broody Hen and adding eggs ?

[Mraya]

It sounds like a good plan.

A broody hen usually leaves the nest once or twice a day to eat, drink, and poop. They really love dust baths too. I've had a broody leave her nest for about 15 minutes once a day in cold weather. I've had broody hens leave their nest twice a day ans stay off for more than an hour each time in hot weather. A lot of the time I never see the broody off the nest. They do try to keep things hidden.

Before a hen goes broody she stores up some excess fat. That's basically what she lives on while broody. She will lose some weight but it is weight put there for that purpose. It helps her to eat and drink some but her need to eat and even drink is greatly reduced because of that fat.

It will be interesting to see how many total chicks hatch. A lot of the time when I have a broody I set some additional eggs in the incubator to hatch at the same time and give them all to the hen to raise. There are different techniques for that but I usually put the incubator chicks under her after dark and she wakes up to a big family.

Good luck with it.

I only put 3 under her and she took them all I left 15 in the incubator I will try to sneak them under her if and they hatch. Just think I would't have to brood them

Thanks for the information.