Broody hen not eating.

[centrarchid]

A broody hen coming off nest should still be looking reasonably good. She has an additional two weeks where her weight can continue to decline as she gives chicks first dibs at food and gives priority to keeping chicks fed and warm over her own needs. If hens in extremely poor shape, then their care prior to start of incubation and during incubation needs to be revisited.

 

[Gray Angel Farm]

Well my chickens free range, always have fresh water and a non gmo 6 grain blend to eat. I use molly’s Herbal wormer and they get Southland Organics big ole bird and catalyst vitamins in their water, acv in rotation. I feel like they get more than adequate care

 

[aart]

Have you checked her for bugs?
Tried wetting some feed?

 

[Gray Angel Farm]

I have checked and I am not seeing any. I put DE in the nest boxes, on the coop floor and all the roosts plus they dust bathe a lot. I’m going to utilize some old tires and make some for them too. It’s on my project list.

 

[Gray Angel Farm]

Have you checked her for bugs?
Tried wetting some feed?

I have not tried wetting some of the feed. The man I buy my grain from said his goats and chickens love it that way...guess I need to try that.

 

[Rachnicko]

We have a Silkie who is broody at the moment and I am sure that she is so engrossed in the task that she wouldn’t move if we didn’t get her off the nest! We get her off the eggs and put her out each evening. She usually just has a mad run and flap, a quick busy bath, and then back to the task at hand! Sometimes she doesn’t eat or drink while she’s out so I’ve been coaxing her with her anything she will take! Yoghurt and grapes being firm favourites and that way I know she’s taking some sort of liquid. Plus some sunflower seeds and cheese. I also hand feed her water by dipping her beak into a small dish (carefully while she is still sitting). She usually then will have a few more sips herself.
I have no idea if this is what you’re supposed to do... but our Silkie seems in good shape for 2 weeks in. I hope this helps.

 

[Rachnicko]

I should have said, she also does one very big stinky poop while she’s out. But I guess if yours isn’t taking anything in, then she wouldn’t need to. I’d try to hand feed her some treats and water while she’s on the nest if you are that way inclined

 

[Mama to 6 wonderful hens]

This happened to one of my hens. We just let her be and when she was done after about 21 days (we don't have a roo but she loved to sit on eggs all day) she got back to normal eating and drinking throughout the day.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

We have a Silkie who is broody at the moment and I am sure that she is so engrossed in the task that she wouldn’t move if we didn’t get her off the nest! We get her off the eggs and put her out each evening. She usually just has a mad run and flap, a quick busy bath, and then back to the task at hand! Sometimes she doesn’t eat or drink while she’s out so I’ve been coaxing her with her anything she will take! Yoghurt and grapes being firm favourites and that way I know she’s taking some sort of liquid. Plus some sunflower seeds and cheese. I also hand feed her water by dipping her beak into a small dish (carefully while she is still sitting). She usually then will have a few more sips herself.
I have no idea if this is what you’re supposed to do... but our Silkie seems in good shape for 2 weeks in. I hope this helps.

Thanks, Rachnicko. One of my white girls is setting on eggs, only for the last few days. Had a similar one lead 4 chicks down from the sandstone rocks above the cabin a few years ago. Irony, I brought home 4 chicks from TSC, Friday..I'm happy to let them do as Nature intended. I dropped shredded cheese, some hard boiled egg, grapes in with her. My only concern, Not really, is some eggs aren't hers, will have 21 day old eggs When she does saunter out..

 

[Rachnicko]

So I had said that my broody Silkie seemed to be doing well being hand fed while sitting, although she wasn’t leaving the nest by herself. Well she now has 3 chicks and things have changed a bit.

The oldest 2 chicks are a week old, and the other is only 3 days old. Broody mum seems to have taken to them ok, altho she pecks them quite a bit, but I don’t think it is with the intention to harm, it’s like an open beak peck.

The thing I am worried about is she is doing a lot of tid-biting and doesn’t seem to be eating anything herself, just picking up and dropping chick crumb for the chicks.

I have tried offering her other things (sunflower seeds and corn) by hand, but she tried to tid-bit those too, and I don’t think the chicks are ready for that yet.

We tried to take her out today to feed her away from the chicks, but of course she ran straight back to the coop to the chicks. She was quite skinny and had an empty crop when I picked her up.

Does anyone have any ideas?