Clean out, sitting hen

[xx Georgina xx]

Hello to the reader,
I have a very broody hen who pecks at me when I put my hand in the cage when I give her things like another egg to hatch for me, food and water. I can handle the pecking, however what I am worried about is cleaning her out.
She is sitting on eggs and has around 2 weeks sitting on them. The cage is inside (where they all sleep) I do open the bedding door so she gets sunlight.

Question:
How do I clean out a broody hen who is sitting on eggs?

Thank you.

 

[sourland]

What do you mean when you say 'clean her out'?

 

[xx Georgina xx]

Quote:
Clean out as in take all nasty bedding out which has poo and replace with nice clean one. I have been trying to but I keep getting pecked all the time,

 

[Cowgirl71]

It is quite rare for a broody hen to have an "accident" in the nest, let alone repeatedly. None of my broody hens have ever soiled the nest. Is she allowed to get out of the nest to eat, drink, and poop when she wants to?

First, I'd try to fix whatever's getting the bedding ucky in the first place. When the eggs get dirty they are less likely to hatch, due to bacteria and also the dirt clogging the pores of the eggs that the chick gets oxygen through. Trying to wash them can make it worse. Not to say that dirty eggs won't hatch, but it certainly lessens their chances.

To clean the nest, find some elbow-length heavy gloves. Or even wear a heavy-sleeved jacket, with regular-length leather work gloves, to protect your hands/arms from her pecking. Gently pick up the hen and put her in a crate/box of some sort, while you work. Make sure to check under her wings first before lifting her up, they sometimes have an egg tucked up in their wings that can fall and crack when you pick her up. Gently put the eggs in a carton, change out the bedding (make sure to make a nice hollowed out "bowl" in the bedding, mimicking as closely as possible what she had) put the eggs back, and then set the hen in front of the nest, back away, and let her go in and get comfy. If you try to place her in the nest, on top of her eggs, she can panic and break some eggs in an attempt to break free from your grasp. Don't feel rushed to get the eggs back under her, for warmth. Assuming it's 80F or more, the eggs will be totally fine for 15 minutes or so. In nature the hen will leave the nest every day to eat, drink, poop, stretch her legs, and sometimes dust bathe. The brief cooling time is totally normal for the eggs, and so no need to feel rushed.

 

[xx Georgina xx]

She died now and the chicks were haching in the storm and after that chicks we found out after that she has got a disease

However for next time:
Yes food, water was available to her all the time in the cage.
The were 2 only vertual but like I said we think that it is because they were hatcing during a storm we were unable to save them.
The mum could walk around in and out the nest but she always made a new nest and movher eggs.
We also had the other chickens sleeping on top of the cage (they like sleeping high up)
We allowed her. It did turn out that I was cleaning aroundhrr but put more shavings on the other side and I think she was wise... She moved her eggs ouyt of the to the clean bit
(Sure could only g in toilet in the cage as the others were not trusted when there was more than 1 hrn broody

It is quite rare for a broody hen to have an "accident" in the nest, let alone repeatedly. None of my broody hens have ever soiled the nest. Is she allowed to get out of the nest to eat, drink, and poop when she wants to?

First, I'd try to fix whatever's getting the bedding ucky in the first place. When the eggs get dirty they are less likely to hatch, due to bacteria and also the dirt clogging the pores of the eggs that the chick gets oxygen through. Trying to wash them can make it worse. Not to say that dirty eggs won't hatch, but it certainly lessens their chances.

To clean the nest, find some elbow-length heavy gloves. Or even wear a heavy-sleeved jacket, with regular-length leather work gloves, to protect your hands/arms from her pecking. Gently pick up the hen and put her in a crate/box of some sort, while you work. Make sure to check under her wings first before lifting her up, they sometimes have an egg tucked up in their wings that can fall and crack when you pick her up. Gently put the eggs in a carton, change out the bedding (make sure to make a nice hollowed out "bowl" in the bedding, mimicking as closely as possible what she had) put the eggs back, and then set the hen in front of the nest, back away, and let her go in and get comfy. If you try to place her in the nest, on top of her eggs, she can panic and break some eggs in an attempt to break free from your grasp. Don't feel rushed to get the eggs back under her, for warmth. Assuming it's 80F or more, the eggs will be totally fine for 15 minutes or so. In nature the hen will leave the nest every day to eat, drink, poop, stretch her legs, and sometimes dust bathe. The brief cooling time is totally normal for the eggs, and so no need to feel rushed.