broody hen questions

Moving her will break broody cycle. A broody will stay in clutch at night. A day or two before broodiness truly sets in she will stay on nest for extended periods about time she deposits an egg.

That's not entirely true.. if your hens are used to being touched and handled (like mine are) they won't be especially bothered by being moved. Heck, I once carried one around in her nestbox while I was prepping a dog crate to put her in. Plus.. if a hen is determined to be broody.. a little thing like a human messing with them isn't going to deter them. In fact.. that's one of the tests I use to make sure a hen is actually serious about being broody. I lift them up, carry them around, tickle them, muss their feathers, toss them (gently!) from the nest boxes. If after a week or two of that, they're still broody, then I decide that they're serious. I then either wait it out, or buy eggs for them to hatch and sell the chicks.
 
good news went to close the coop door and she was in the nest box asleep on the eggs
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Ideally you should not let a hen stay broody for longer than she needs to hatch eggs. The inactivity and little feed consumed during their broody period takes quite a toll on them and during the 3 weeks it takes a hen to hatch her eggs she will lose approximately 25% of her body weight.
 
No, she shouldn't. Broody poops are legendary and can really mess up her nest and eggs. Encourage her to get up once a day to eat, drink and poop and don't feed her on the nest as that will encourage her to poop in the nest. Clean the nest and eggs as best you could for now.
 

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