Broody hen sitting on dummy eggs

[Mckennas poultry]

right, so I have a broody Rhode Island Red hen that I have moved into a small chicken coop, she’s there on her own but she can see the rest of the flock while she’s out eating, there’s only one worry I have about this and that is, she takes 5, five minute breaks to go out and eat a day, she’s been doing this for 2 days now and I’m worried if she’ll continue this when I put the fertile eggs under her in 7 days, is this normal behavior for a first time broody ?

She’s definitely broody as she’s lining the nest with feathers and oh boy does she rip my hands to shreds when I touch her
Give me your opinions on this

 

[ronott1]

They are supposed to get off of the nest once a day to eat drink and poop.

Look up broody poo!

Some hens will get off of the nest for a lot more than 5 minutes too.

Best wishes!

 

[chuckachucka]

Absolutely normal. They get up once a day on average for up to about half an hour. Occasionally they will get up twice a day or every other day. It is very important that they are free to leave the nest to eat drink and poop because they will not do these things while sitting. It does not affect the eggs.

 

[chuckachucka]

Oh I just re read your post and did you mean she gets up five times a day for five minutes ish each time?

 

[Mckennas poultry]

She gets up 5 times a day for about 5 mins, it’s kinda weird but I guess it makes up for half an hour

 

[ronott1]

Wait until she has been broody for a week before putting hatching eggs under her.

 

[chuckachucka]

Ah. Well I have a serama who did that recently when brooding for the first time. After about a week of sitting she reduced the number of times she got up from about four or five to two or three. But two of the eggs she was sitting on did die early into development and it worried me at the time that her leaving them too frequently could have caused it. Hopefully by the time you give your hen the eggs she will be leaving the nest less frequently.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Thanks for the advice, I’ll give it another week before I give her the fertile eggs

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for the advice, I’ll give it another week before I give her the fertile eggs

It will be a lot of fun watching her hatch and raise the chicks!

 

[Mckennas poultry]

I just checked on her again this morning when she was out getting food, when any of the other hens go near her she drops her wings and puffs up, she’s only been up once ever since, she’s a bit messy with the nest, she poops at night sometimes but I’d say by the end of the week she’d be fine