Do you suppliment Broody hens food?

[stormylady]

I was just wondering if anyone out there supplimented their broody's food, I tried to push my broodies off the nest today to make sure they got something to eat and drink, seems like there losing a little bit of weight, I do have bowl of food and water set up for them but doesn't really seem like there eating very much of it. Could I mix some Meatbird in with there regular layer feed, replace the layer with meatbird all together or should I just leave them on the layer feed? Maybe somebody feeds them something else? any ideas or suggestions? Thankyou , Sandy

 

[buckboy101]

I just keep them on regular layer feed and they have always been fine

 

[PhoenixAngel429]

My broody hens were fed normally. So just make sure they have food to eat when they are ready.

 

[gritsar]

I remember reading somewhere, perhaps in Storey's Guide to Chickens, a recommendation to supplement the broody's food with gamebird feed or to switch them over to it completely; but I don't.

I just make sure they are getting up once a day to eat, drink, poop and stretch their legs. Also, to make sure they get their share of treats - scrambled eggs, fruit, cheese and yogurt.

 

[stormylady]

I do have a bowl of water and food, well several inside the coop close to them so they will eat and drink but just seems like there loosing a tad bit of weight, but I guess thats to be expected. I didn't see them get off the nest today at all, and didn't see any of there HUGE poo either so I tried to shove the girls off just to make sure that they did get something to eat but problem with that was after I took the first one off, and started getting the next one out , turned around and the one I took off was already back on her nest! I got nine so it was a loosing battle! I was give out! They were getting off about 2 times aday for the longest for a few minutes at a time now it seems like there only getting off 1time if that so I thought maybe they should have a little extra boost in the little bit they were eating . They all still look really healthy, they look very serious all the time, but I really want to keep them that way. And to make matters worse Zues the girls Main Man stays inside the coop with them 99% of the time so to check on the girls I got to push him out of the way, he is a sweet heart and not at all aggressive but he doesn't like me "disturbing" his girls. LOL Maybe Im just being alittle too concerned and should let them be, BUT ITS SO HARD!

 

[crazyhen]

I gave my broody some salmon packed in water to increase her protein content. Being a broody they do not eat enough of the reg. food to keep their wt up to par. Good luck with yours. Gloria Jean

 

[centrarchid]

Make certain broody (incubating eggs) hen has access to water and best feed possible but no need for pushing her off nest to feed. She will come off on her own, usually once daily to deficate, top her crop off and drink. Pattern will change when chicks start to hatch as hen will then sit tight until brood ready to forage (sometimes 3 days may forgo food and water). Weight loss during brooding normal. Hens I have tracked loose roughly 1/3 of their pre-broody weight which bottoms out when tending chicks immediately after hatch but increases with mobility of chicks. Once hen quits clucking, weight bounces back into pre-broody weight for my hens and cycle repeats with resumption of egg production.

 

[stormylady]

Good to know! thankyou everybody! Oh and BTW I candled the Silkies'( 3 of them)eggs, their are 18 eggs total. They are each sitting on 6 eggs hope thats not to many for them to handle but seems like their doing fine and I saw movement in most eggs, they will be full silkies, Sal. Fav./Silkie crosses, and Silver Seabright and Silver/buff seabright crosses they should all be interesting, I gave my silkies my seabrights eggs because the seabright and silkie eggs approximately the same size, so thought they would be safer, I was advised not to give the little eggs to the big girls because they could be too heavy and crush them, I'm just dieing to see the Salmon Fav crosses, does anybody have pictures of these crosses or what I might get? especially the SF/Silkies?

 

[elmo]

30 percent weight loss was what I observed, too.