Chicks!

[Mama_2017]

3 eggs hatched so far! The first one hatched yesterday. My question is.. how long can mama go without water? When I offer her food she’ll eat but when I offer her water she will not drink it.

 

[BoundlessLove]

Do you have a small waterer you can leave out for her?
She will drink when she is thirsty.

 

[BoundlessLove]

The chicks are adorable!

 

[Debbie292d]

You take wonderful pictures!

 

[kattabelly]

Do you have a small waterer you can leave out for her?
She will drink when she is thirsty.

Agree with this, but also offering her food as wet mash will get some fluids into her if you're worried.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My question is.. how long can mama go without water?

Good question. I have not seen it asked very often on here.

As long as she needs to. Broody hens have been hatching chicks for thousands of years, even before we domesticated them. They do not need humans to serve as their waiters, they can manage by instinct. The big difference is that we sometimes house them in ways they cannot follow their instincts, such as blocking them off from getting water if they need it.

Before that hen even started laying eggs she stored up excess fat. That excess fat is mostly what they live off of if they go broody. That way they can take care of the eggs without having to leave the nest often for food OR WATER. While incubating she will occasionally leave the nest to eat, drink, and especially poop. She should know by instinct not to poop in her nest so she has to get up occasionally. Nature has this worked out so well so that the species can survive, even without humans helping.

Most broody hens stay on the nest without eating or drinking from when the first chicks start internal pipping until she brings them off of the nest, often two or three days. They do not need to, nature took care of that. Many will eat and/or drink during that time but they do not NEED to.

Personally I do not try to feed or water a hen or chicks while they are still on the nest. I know many people do. I do not want to risk spilling the water in her nest or attracting rodents or other pests to her nest by keeping food there. But that is just me. To many people it is worth the risk, if they even understand there are risks.

Good luck and congratulations on the hatch.

 

[ChickenChick46]

What a beautiful little family!