Broody hen won't eat, drink OR POOP

[eyralis]

Hi folks, we have a first time broody Silkie who has been refusing to get off the nest for any reason whatsoever. It has been a week now, and in that entire time I've seen her poop just twice. (No other poops anywhere)

When I do gently lift her off the nest I can induce her to eat a little; she will eat sour cream and mayonnaise but refuses all scratch, grains, even meal worms!

But the most worrisome is that she REFUSES to drink. I've tried dipping her beak in water to no avail. This morning I tried with the syringe and made a mess of it. I can only hope a little bit of that water actually went into her.

She has food and water near the nest, and I've tried placing food or water just under her beak. She'll eat, but not drink. I checked her yesterday to make sure she didn't have pasty butt.

Any advice? I'm so concerned about her dying of dehydration!!

 

[Poultry parent]

when a hen is broody she looses about 20% of her body weight, they don't get off the nest for long at all, and they don't poop much, she is probably getting off the nest at night to quickly eat,drink and poop.

 

[eyralis]

But then shouldn't I be finding the evidence of her poops? She's in a separate enclosed brooder box so I can really see everything- and no poop other than those two I saw! Two poops in over a week!

 

[Poultry parent]

they hold it all in until they go out to eat and drink, so they don't poop often