broody hen

[joydix]

This is just the 2nd time i have dealt with a broody hen. she is so small i hate to think of her losing a lot of weight! i have fixed her scrambled egg...just a small banty egg...for breakfast the past 2 mornings before i leave for work. i know she gets up at some point when the temps are warmer in the afternoon. is it ok to keep giving her some egg in the mornings? or is it too much protein? she is in a pen by herself right now which she seems to love. on my days off i will be sure she gets out with the others for a bit. if i just open her pen the others (14 of them) will rush in and check everything out and try to take over her nest box. thanks for any pointers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Before a hen starts to lay she builds up a reserve of excess fat. A lot of that is in the pelvic region and is known as the fat pad, but fat generally builds up all through her body. Half the chickens I butcher are hens. This fat is really noticeable, though it can be quite a bit different with different hens.

The reason they have this fat reserve is for them to live off of when they go broody. This excess fat is why they don’t have to spend a lot of time off the nest looking for something to eat or drink. That doesn’t mean they don’t need to eat or drink, they do. They also hold their poop until they leave the nest. You might notice some really large smelly deposits left around. Don’t be alarmed, that’s normal. So is the weight loss. That’s just the excess fat she stored for this purpose.

As long as she leaves her nest daily to eat, drink, and poop she will be OK, but what you are doing will not hurt her at all. The extra protein just means she won’t use up as much of that stored fat. I don’t do that for mine but you are not hurting her at all.

 

[joydix]

thanks for your input. appreciate it...i pretty much knew i didn't HAVE to....they take care of what they need for sure....i prob won't do it every day...but it keeps me in her good graces!