Give her chicks?

[slordaz]

I mean eggs not chicks. I don't think she'll take in chicks until she is at the point her own chicks would be hatching. She might count days so well, so that's why I said two weeks. They would normally hatch in 3 weeks. This is my experience with introducing chicks to a broody, anyway. Be prepared to watch closely and if she starts pecking at them, then you will have to be mom and put them in a brooder. Eggs...she'll either sit or she won't. So much easier.

They won't always take in chicks though even if they were broody i had tried with one at 3 weeks during the night and she was like nope, kept trying every so often, gave her eggs from her sisters and nope those weren't hers she wasn't going have any of that either, took putting one under her as it was hatching to finally break her after 4 months, it hatched she sat there with it for about 10 minutes then off she went and hasn't been broody since lol

This was after broody busting failed, even tried the wired cage off the ground with ice packs under her

 

[featheredplanets]

Does the rest of the flock had access to her space?
They may not get off every day.
When segregated from flock it's pretty easy to monitor feed, water...
.... and those huge broody poops are hard to miss.

No but they can walk past it. She’s still in the nest as the run is in plain sight when I’m gardening. I think she may have settled but I don’t want to jinx it lol.

 

[aart]

No but they can walk past it. She’s still in the nest as the run is in plain sight when I’m gardening. I think she may have settled but I don’t want to jinx it lol.

Sounds perfect...hoping she stays tight until you get those shipped eggs settled.
(I'm betting she will)

 

[featheredplanets]

@ValerieJ @aart and everyone else, THANK YOU! She’s still sat. Eggs are 4 days old now and I’ll be candling today. She hasn’t been out much but I assume this is due to the rain, wind and cold. She hasn’t been eating much but I keep giving her scrambled egg and mealworms, so that may be why.

Before I moved her ^

Now ^

One question though. She has gone very pale. At first I was worried about red mites but I treated the coop 1 month ago and I just did the kennel before I put her in. I can’t see any on a night in kennel or coop. Is she just pale because she’s not laying (hasn’t laid for around a week now) and she spends 23 hours a day inside?

 

[aart]

Is she just pale because she’s not laying

Most likely.
Always good to check a broody for external parasites.
They are prone to them from not dust bathing.
Pull her out and check her, well after dark, or just dust her and the nest with permethrin.

 

[ValerieJ]

I'm glad you're giving her treats. My broody wouldn't eat anything the whole time she sat on the eggs unless I brought it to her. So I did the same thing, only I mostly put crumbles right in front of her. If she didn't have to get off the nest, she would eat it. She was so dedicated, I had to pull her out to poop. She also got pale, but showed no signs of weakness whatsoever. In the end I would say she lost a good 20% of her body weight, but it all came back quickly once the chicks hatched. The whole thing is such a great experience for her and for you.

I agree it wouldn't hurt to use a little poultry dust on her, just to be sure. Especially if you have had trouble with mites before.

 

[aart]

I think broody feed and water should be kept away from the nest.
They should have to get up to get it or they may just poop in the nest.
Set up feed and water so you can tell if they've gotten up to eat and drink,
I roust them out every 2-3 days if I don't see evidence,
after a time or two of that they get up on their own.

 

[featheredplanets]

Most likely.
Always good to check a broody for external parasites.
They are prone to them from not dust bathing.
Pull her out and check her, well after dark, or just dust her and the nest with permethrin.

Do you know where I could buy permethrin dust in England? When I search it up only Diatomaceous Earth comes up. She did angrily dust bath the first two days but her dust bath got wet in the rain and I didn’t have any dry dirt to fill it up with.

 

[featheredplanets]

I think broody feed and water should be kept away from the nest.
They should have to get up to get it or they may just poop in the nest.
Set up feed and water so you can tell if they've gotten up to eat and drink,
I roust them out every 2-3 days if I don't see evidence,
after a time or two of that they get up on their own.

I can smell when she’s gotten up, lol, those broody poos are something alien

 

[aart]

Do you know where I could buy permethrin dust in England? When I search it up only Diatomaceous Earth comes up. She did angrily dust bath the first two days but her dust bath got wet in the rain and I didn’t have any dry dirt to fill it up with.

Oh...geez...I do not know.
but...
@Yorkshire Coop could point you n the right direction.