Broody Question for the experts

[tammyd57]

Is it very hot where you live? If it is, 2 days of sitting on a nest with no water WILL make her weak, and too much longer could be very bad.
If she is broody or sick eiher one, make sure she is getting plenty of water.

 

[zDoc]

OK.....whew.....seems she is just broody. I picked her up and set her aside and she just stayed in the crouched position for a few seconds then went over and ate some food. I did not see her drink though, so I'm just hoping she did. There were 4 eggs under her; which means she must be leaving the nest at times for a while. I feel much better. How long does broody last?

 

[cutechick2010]

Well, if she is not setting viable eggs ( I think you said one was wooden? Poor hatch rate with those.) then it is hard to tell. Some hens will give up after 21 days when her internal clock is telling her there should be chicks now. Some are more dedicated and will set for a long time. What you can do to keep her from getting wobbly from lack of food and water again is to take her off the nest at least once a day and set her down by the waterer, and mabye sprinkle a little food on the floor next to her to draw her attention to it. You might even be able to set a dish of water in front of her where she is sitting, close enough that she can reach it without getting up.

 

[zDoc]

Still broody after all this time....I pick her up and take about 2 or three eggs from under her everyday. When they have yard time I take her out in the yard, within a few minutes she's back in there again. She is very stubborn but apparently still laying, got 17 eggs today from 17 girls.

 

[Nostalchic]

Wow, that is dedication! Have you read the advice about how to break a broody hen? I would take mine off the nest at night and put them on the roost and cover the nests - they got pretty upset but would eventually roost and give up the nest. I never left any eggs in the nest - picked them up as soon as possible, fake eggs were out too. If that doesn't work, putting the hen in a wire cage with air flow to her underside, with food and water available, is often effective. Don't know why but it seems to work. Still laying, though... huh. That's unusual.

 

[tammyd57]

I had to break up a broody during the hottest part of the summer, she wouldn't drink and I was afraid she would die. First thing every morning for about 3 or 4 days, I would go out and put her out of the nest and put a ice filled apple juice bottle in the nest. She would try to get back in and set, but the ice was just too much and she finally gave up.

ETA: She was setting on an EMPTY nest.

 

[cutechick2010]

Quote:
LOL, they can be stubborn all right. I agree with the PP that said put her in a wire cage with her food/water dishes. It may take a few days, but that has usually worked for my stubborn broodies.