*First time broody hen questions*

[Jenab26]

First time broody hen mama here and I've got some questions! She's been broody about a week now and I couldn't get her to shake it off, I contacted a friend to see if she'd take some chicks once hatched and she had some turkey eggs she needed to hatch, so we placed them under my hen after 4 days of her being broody. Now I've got some questions!
She accepted the eggs, which I know take 28 days to hatch, will she be ok being broody that long?!
I know she doesn't move around much but she is grabbing any egg the other hens lay, are they still ok to eat if they've been under her for Max of a couple hours?
I noticed today her Combs are super pale and slightly shriveled, she was also closing her eyes during the day is that normal?
Our food & water is outside in the run and I shut the coop door at night, should I bring some food and water closer to her?
Thanks for reading through my probably over analyzing questions!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I would attach a little pen th o the nest box so she can go get food in her personal water and feeder

 

[sylviethecochin]

She accepted the eggs, which I know take 28 days to hatch, will she be ok being broody that long?!

Hard to tell with a first-timer; they are almost always fine being broody that long. But sometimes the first-timers get off the nest for no reason I can see.

I know she doesn't move around much but she is grabbing any egg the other hens lay, are they still ok to eat if they've been under her for Max of a couple hour

Yep. More than a day and they'll start to develop (assuming you have a rooster)

I noticed today her Combs are super pale and slightly shriveled, she was also closing her eyes during the day is that normal?

Yes. Broody hens are conserving resources, and they don't really circulate blood to their combs.

Our food & water is outside in the run and I shut the coop door at night, should I bring some food and water closer to her?

No. She (should be) only getting off of the nest once a day anyway, to eat and dust-bathe a bit; she's definitely not eating at night.

 

[aart]

Yes. Broody hens are conserving resources, and they don't really circulate blood to their combs.

Pale, shriveled comb is also because she's not laying.

 

[Forrestzoo]

First time broody hen mama here and I've got some questions! She's been broody about a week now and I couldn't get her to shake it off, I contacted a friend to see if she'd take some chicks once hatched and she had some turkey eggs she needed to hatch, so we placed them under my hen after 4 days of her being broody. Now I've got some questions!
She accepted the eggs, which I know take 28 days to hatch, will she be ok being broody that long?!
I know she doesn't move around much but she is grabbing any egg the other hens lay, are they still ok to eat if they've been under her for Max of a couple hours?
I noticed today her Combs are super pale and slightly shriveled, she was also closing her eyes during the day is that normal?
Our food & water is outside in the run and I shut the coop door at night, should I bring some food and water closer to her?
Thanks for reading through my probably over analyzing questions!

She should get up at least once a day to eat, drink, poop and then run back to nest. If you place some closer she may take the opportunity to use it. I have had only one broody since I started having egglaying hens. I was scared she was dieing. She ended up with two but due to my lack of experience several others were lost. First time for her but she was an excellent mother. Now I know what to look for.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She accepted the eggs, which I know take 28 days to hatch, will she be ok being broody that long?!

Yes, she will be fine. Before a hen starts to lay eggs she stores up excess fat. If you ever butcher a hen as opposed to a rooster or cockerel you will see what I mean. That fat is what she mostly lives on while broody. That way she can spend her time taking care of her eggs instead of having to go out and eat or drink a lot.

Different hens store up different amounts of fat. I've seen some hens come off the nest once a day for 15 minutes to eat, drink, poop, and maybe take a dust bath. I've seen hens come off the nest twice a day and stay of for over an hour each time. I've never seen some hens off the nest but I know they are since they don't poop in the nest. The more they eat and drink the slower they use that fat, but I'm very comfortable with a hen being broody on a nest for five weeks or more even if she does not come off for long or often.

I know she doesn't move around much but she is grabbing any egg the other hens lay, are they still ok to eat if they've been under her for Max of a couple hours?

When I put eggs under a broody I mark them and check under her once a day after the others have laid to remove any eggs that don't belong. As long as you remove them once a day they are fine to eat. While some broody hens have been known to collect eggs and carry them back to their nest, the other hens often lay their eggs in the broody hen's nest. With turkey eggs you probably don't need to mark them, but if you remove the excess eggs once a day they are fine to use.

I noticed today her Combs are super pale and slightly shriveled, she was also closing her eyes during the day is that normal?

Like they said, pale combs are normal when they are not laying. Broody hens often zone out when on the nest, sort of go into a trance. Both of those sound normal.

Our food & water is outside in the run and I shut the coop door at night, should I bring some food and water closer to her?

This is not necessary. A broody hen should come off the nest regularly to poop, let alone eat or drink. Whether you see them off the nest or not, if they are not pooping in the nest they are coming off. If you wish and there is enough time for her to do her business before you lock her in the coop, you can put her off her nest when you check for new eggs. Typical behavior is that she sits there for a bit, then either goes back on the nest or runs outside to eat and drink a bit. You don't have to do this, he should take care of it on her own on her own schedule, but many people worry about it and take her off the nest. It doesn't hurt anything its not necessary.

Some people worry about this so much they put food and/or water so close to the broody that she doesn't even have to come off the nest to eat or drink. As long as the water doesn't spill in the nest or the feed doesn't get in the nest and foul the nest and eggs this does not hurt anything, but it is not necessary. You are not alone, many people worry about this. But nature took care of it for us. If you think about it, we provide really great nutritious food so all she has to do is eat it. In the wold she has to find it or catch it. Boy, do we pamper them.

Another thing, don't let people scare you about a first time broody. I've had just as much success with a hen that went broody for the first time as i have with hens that have been broody before. I've had just as many problems with hens that have successfully raised chicks before as with first time broody hens. Whether a hen has been broody before has absolutely nothing to do with my decision of whether or not to give her eggs to hatch. The majority of broody hens, whether first time or experienced, do great. But you are dealing with living animals so anything can happen to any of them. Good luck!