Broody questions

[Chicken poppy]

Hi! I have a few questions about my broody bantam so if anyone could answer that would be much appreciated!

Dixie (her name) has been broody for 2-3 days and she is inside the chicken coop. There’s a very small brown nesting box inside,

it looks similar to the photo posted above but the fencing area is taken off. The door is left open so she can come out whenever she pleases.
However, she has not yet come out to eat or drink. I put some food and water in there for her but i don’t think she ate or drank anything.

Should i be delivering food to her or just pay no mind because she’ll come out if she really needs to eat?

Last broody got off the nest (after 2 weeks.) and i candled the eggs there and discarded bad ones.

However, im not to sure what to do with Dixie. Should i just wait til she gets off to candle or pull an egg out, candle, do this with each one and then place them all back?
I think waiting would be the best but i think she has a bit to many eggs under her so i wanted to discard the bad ones asap


Thank you!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I had to physically take one of my broodies out of the coop every other day so she would poop and eat. You don't want poop on the eggs and chickens are dumb lol so if she doesn't move try putting her food and water outside and take her out once a day or every other day. My last broody would go out by herself and mingle with the rest of the flock but she is my boss chicken. The other one couldn't manage that.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Is this her first hatch?

 

[Chicken poppy]

Is this her first hatch?

Yep, she’s never been broody before.

 

[NatJ]

However, she has not yet come out to eat or drink. I put some food and water in there for her but i don’t think she ate or drank anything.

I would have the feed and water in the little run, not right next to the nest. I'm not sure which way you meant.

Broody hens tend to eat when no-one is around to see. You could feel her crop, to see if it has food in it. If yes, then don't worry, because she is just eating when you don't see her.

If her crop is completely empty, you could just keep waiting, because she probably will come off and eat eventually.

Or you could lift her off the nest and sit her by the food. She may sit for a little while there, but will probably start moving around pretty soon: eating, drinking, pooping, before going back to the nest.

Should i be delivering food to her or just pay no mind because she’ll come out if she really needs to eat?

Do not put the food where she can reach it from the nest. It is better for her to come off for a little exercise, and it is much better for the eggs if she poops AWAY from the nest rather than in it!

However, im not to sure what to do with Dixie. Should i just wait til she gets off to candle or pull an egg out, candle, do this with each one and then place them all back?

If you take her off to eat, you can candle then.

Otherwise, I would probably take half the eggs out to candle. After you do them, take the other half, and put the first ones back.

That lets you get all the eggs, without missing any, but the hen has some to sit on while you are candling others. I think that helps keep her happier.

I think waiting would be the best but i think she has a bit to many eggs under her so i wanted to discard the bad ones asap

Discarding bad ones is a good idea, especially if she does have too many eggs.
But if it has only been 2-3 days, you may not be able to see development in any of the eggs yet.

So you might need to wait a few more days (5-7 days total incubation) before you can do a reasonable job sorting the good ones vs. the infertile ones.

 

[Chicken poppy]

I would have the feed and water in the little run, not right next to the nest. I'm not sure which way you meant.

Broody hens tend to eat when no-one is around to see. You could feel her crop, to see if it has food in it. If yes, then don't worry, because she is just eating when you don't see her.

If her crop is completely empty, you could just keep waiting, because she probably will come off and eat eventually.

Or you could lift her off the nest and sit her by the food. She may sit for a little while there, but will probably start moving around pretty soon: eating, drinking, pooping, before going back to the nest.


Do not put the food where she can reach it from the nest. It is better for her to come off for a little exercise, and it is much better for the eggs if she poops AWAY from the nest rather than in it!


If you take her off to eat, you can candle then.

Otherwise, I would probably take half the eggs out to candle. After you do them, take the other half, and put the first ones back.

That lets you get all the eggs, without missing any, but the hen has some to sit on while you are candling others. I think that helps keep her happier.


Discarding bad ones is a good idea, especially if she does have too many eggs.
But if it has only been 2-3 days, you may not be able to see development in any of the eggs yet.

So you might need to wait a few more days (5-7 days total incubation) before you can do a reasonable job sorting the good ones vs. the infertile ones.

Thanks so much! Im worried if i take her off she won’t go back so i’ll feel her crop in the morning to see if shes eating.

The tiny brown coop is inside my coop (the coop is like a shed, it doesn’t have a nesting box because it has hay everywhere so its like a giant nesting box.)

So the tiny coop is just a nesting box now because we took the run part off of it.

Thank you again!

 

[NatJ]

Thanks so much! Im worried if i take her off she won’t go back

If she won't go back after you take her off to eat, she probably will not stick with the nest long enough to hatch the eggs.

So it might be better to find out now, early in the process, rather than waste a lot of time (yours and hers) just to have a problem later.

i’ll feel her crop in the morning to see if shes eating.

Yes, that can be very reassuring

The tiny brown coop is inside my coop (the coop is like a shed, it doesn’t have a nesting box because it has hay everywhere so its like a giant nesting box.)

So the tiny coop is just a nesting box now because we took the run part off of it.

That sounds fine. In that case, put the food outside it, not inside with her. It really is best if she poops outside, and having the food & water outside can help with that.

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes, even when they get off by themselves, they will get on the wrong nest! So exasperating! However, it is not a big deal. Just plop her where she belongs and mine have always settled right back down.

Once the heart has started beating in the chick, they actually begin to make their own heat. One year, I had a broody in October, and when I found her on the wrong nest, the eggs were cool to the touch, but people on here said, just put her back, and sure enough they hatched right on time.

Mrs K

 

[Chicken poppy]

Sometimes, even when they get off by themselves, they will get on the wrong nest! So exasperating! However, it is not a big deal. Just plop her where she belongs and mine have always settled right back down.

Once the heart has started beating in the chick, they actually begin to make their own heat. One year, I had a broody in October, and when I found her on the wrong nest, the eggs were cool to the touch, but people on here said, just put her back, and sure enough they hatched right on time.

Mrs K

Wow! Thats so interesting. There’s so much to learn about chickens, such fascinating creatures.