Broody Hen

[birdiefluff]

Hello all! I have a mixed breed broody hen and was wondering what's the best foods to feed her? Just laying crumbles? I'm into natural herbs and such as well. Hint....Hint..... I'm also, wondering if I should give her food and water while she's sitting on eggs. It's quite chilly here maybe 50's? I don't want the eggs to get cold. She just started sitting out in the barn and was sitting and pooping in our dairy cow's feed box, so I put her in a good sized wire dog crate filled with hay and she's adjusting well. I also, didn't want her pooping in her nest.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The less you do, the better it will go.
If she's sitting on eggs, they won't get cold. She won't be laying eggs while she's broody and for another month or two thereafter so she doesn't need layer feed. I feed my setters starter/grower feed and that is the same thing the chicks will need when they hatch.
She'll come off the nest approximately once a day to defecate, eat, drink, stretch and depending ambient temperature, she'll return to the nest in a timely manner.
Is the dog crate large enough for food, water, space for defecation and a good stretch?

 

[sylviethecochin]

x2.

Only if a hen is doing an extended set (duck eggs, two settings in a row after the previous batch died) do I feed them.

 

[MillefleurGirl137]

Since the broody's not laying, you can feed her chick starter if you want to, since you'll being buying it soon anyway. Make sure she has plenty of fresh water and food, since some broodies I've had poop in their food and water sometimes. She most likely won't poop in the nest, except on accident. Change her bedding often too!

 

[Shadrach]

Hello all! I have a mixed breed broody hen and was wondering what's the best foods to feed her? Just laying crumbles? I'm into natural herbs and such as well. Hint....Hint..... I'm also, wondering if I should give her food and water while she's sitting on eggs. It's quite chilly here maybe 50's? I don't want the eggs to get cold. She just started sitting out in the barn and was sitting and pooping in our dairy cow's feed box, so I put her in a good sized wire dog crate filled with hay and she's adjusting well. I also, didn't want her pooping in her nest.

Why did you put her in a dog crate?
Make sure she can get out to eat, bath and defecate. If she is contained in a crate she has no choice but to poop in the nest.

 

[pennyJo1960]

The least you move her the better do not be surprised if you mess allot she will leave the eggs

 

[birdiefluff]

The least you move her the better do not be surprised if you mess allot she will leave the eggs

She is sitting on 4 eggs now.

 

[birdiefluff]

Why did you put her in a dog crate?
Make sure she can get out to eat, bath and defecate. If she is contained in a crate she has no choice but to poop in the nest.

She's in a crate because I have no where else to put her. She'll just keep flying up into the feed box where we feed our dairy cow at milking time and poop in her feed. So I put her in a large wire dog crate where she'll have plenty of room and lots of warm hay to nest in. They work great for broody hens and chicks before!

 

[birdiefluff]

Since the broody's not laying, you can feed her chick starter if you want to, since you'll being buying it soon anyway. Make sure she has plenty of fresh water and food, since some broodies I've had poop in their food and water sometimes. She most likely won't poop in the nest, except on accident. Change her bedding often too!

Thank you!

 

[birdiefluff]

The less you do, the better it will go.
If she's sitting on eggs, they won't get cold. She won't be laying eggs while she's broody and for another month or two thereafter so she doesn't need layer feed. I feed my setters starter/grower feed and that is the same thing the chicks will need when they hatch.
She'll come off the nest approximately once a day to defecate, eat, drink, stretch and depending ambient temperature, she'll return to the nest in a timely manner.
Is the dog crate large enough for food, water, space for defecation and a good stretch?

Yes. the crate is quite large.