Broody Hen Incubates Eggs

[Puddingtheamericana]

One of our chickens is broody, so my family did something we’ve never done before, and we got some fertile trader jose eggs for her to sit on.

now, she is currently in a big wooden box that we’ve used to brood our birds before.
wood shaving nest with the eggs in the corner, she’s always sitting on it; some food and water too.

now she’s broody and doesn’t always eat, usually i’ll place a handful of food right in front of her and she’ll later pick at it, but i can’t tell if she’s drinking or not.

this is my first time doing this so does anyone have tips? is there a certain food the hen should be on, is it safe for her to go a long time without eating or drinking under these circumstances?

and lastly, we only really a few chicks out of this and we are incubating a dozen rn, so if anyone extra hatch, who wants some? I live in the Bay area, CA, btw

 

[1muttsfan]

Pick her up off the eggs and set her a little ways away from them every day. She will fluff up and complain, then stand up, walk around, poop eat drink and then hop back onto the eggs again. You didn't say how large your brooding area was, but it should be big enough for her to have room to be able to move around some.

 

[Puddingtheamericana]

Pick her up off the eggs and set her a little ways away from them every day. She will fluff up and complain, then stand up, walk around, poop eat drink and then hop back onto the eggs again. You didn't say how large your brooding area was, but it should be big enough for her to have room to be able to move around some.

Pick her up off the eggs and set her a little ways away from them every day. She will fluff up and complain, then stand up, walk around, poop eat drink and then hop back onto the eggs again. You didn't say how large your brooding area was, but it should be big enough for her to have room to be able to move around some.

the brooder is very large, can comfortably fit 6 teenager chicks.
I just tried picking her up and placing her bakc down away from the eggs but she immediately went back to them.

 

[aart]

If she's by herself, mark the water level and smooth the top of the feed so you can tell if she's eaten and drank.
Don't feed her while she's in the nest.
She may not get off for the first few days.
If you lift her off nest, after the first few days, dip her beak in the waterer to help snap her out of the broody trance.

 

[1muttsfan]

And I would keep taking her off once or twice a day, sooner or later she's going to have to do a big broody poop and you don't want that to happen while she's on the nest.