How do you manage broody lockdown?

[Chicalina]

Assuming your broody hen is committed and it's around 12°C typical spring temperature (not warm, not cold) and she can actually physically get herself off the nest...

 

[K0k0shka]

Fence her off so the other chickens can't get to her, give her food and water within easy reach, and leave her alone in her nest.

 

[Chicalina]

Fence her off so the other chickens can't get to her, give her food and water within easy reach, and leave her alone in her nest.

Easy reach where she can get to them without getting off the eggs, or just nearby where she has to get up off the nest to have some?

I'm wondering what people do?

 

[K0k0shka]

Easy reach where she can get to them without getting off the eggs, or just nearby where she has to get up off the nest to have some?

I'm wondering what people do?

Doesn't have to be easy reach while sitting. She can get up quickly and then sit back down after. Just close enough so she doesn't have to walk far and be gone long. My broody kept getting up to eat even during lockdown, but her food was about a foot or two from the nest so she didn't go far. All of her chicks hatched fine.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We had at least four BO that decided to set one year. We put them in the well house, in separate corners. One of them was a right crab and was attacking the others so we put a cardboard barrier around her. One kept to herself and didn't bother anybody. The other two paired up and shared four eggs. We ended up putting cardboard barriers around all three nests with food and water and just pretty much left them alone. Everybody hatched all their eggs. The odd couple shared parenting duties until their chicks were weaned. Out of eight hatchlings, three grew to adulthood, one being a cockerel who is now the flockmaster. The losses were due to hawks.

 

[Chicalina]

Doesn't have to be easy reach while sitting. She can get up quickly and then sit back down after. Just close enough so she doesn't have to walk far and be gone long. My broody kept getting up to eat even during lockdown, but her food was about a foot or two from the nest so she didn't go far. All of her chicks hatched fine.

I don't want poopy eggs!

Had such a bad hatching rate last year with broodies who were brilliant but the weather was massively humid and hot as the tropics (yes, in the UK).

I just want to see if intervention or not is the best thing since humidity and temp is crucial. I want to leave them alone but also want to lift them off for 10 mins in lockdown as I've been doing throughout their broody time because I'm not sure they'll do it themselves or whether they should or not.

I overthink.

Another complicating factor is one hen is 2 feet off the ground and isn't used to jumping in and out of the nest.

 

[Arenas Chickens]

Truly it’s a ‘let nature take its course’. She know exactly what she’s doing & what those babies need.

My list:
* keep her safe from other hens & Roos (depending on your setup)
~ ~ other hens can be wicked.
* maintain daily rations of food & clean water - she’ll eat & drink as she needs
~ ~ she will stop sitting if she feels she cannot eat & drink. Her life matters to.
~ ~ I don’t keep it too close as it can make for a bacterial haven, Rodent hotel, & if momma doesn’t have to exercise, she will become ill.
* allow her a small space so when she does stretch her legs she actually feels she IS stretching her legs
~ ~ this is a stressful time. The 20 mins or so she gets to herself is very important, as much as it is for us moms!

and that’s pretty much it. Just let her do her thing

 

[turkey girl 0964]

We had at least four BO that decided to set one year.

Same with us. We had 4 BO go broody this spring, broke 3 of them and left the one with 12 eggs. waiting to see how many hatches! We also had one Welsummer and 2 GLW bantams which are still broody.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't want poopy eggs!

Had such a bad hatching rate last year with broodies who were brilliant but the weather was massively humid and hot as the tropics (yes, in the UK).

I just want to see if intervention or not is the best thing since humidity and temp is crucial. I want to leave them alone but also want to lift them off for 10 mins in lockdown as I've been doing throughout their broody time because I'm not sure they'll do it themselves or whether they should or not.

I overthink.

Another complicating factor is one hen is 2 feet off the ground and isn't used to jumping in and out of the nest.

What do poopy eggs or the weather have to do with taking the hen out of the nest? She should come out to poop on her own, and if she doesn't, you lifting her out won't solve the problem. You don't know when exactly she needs to poop. Some hens are great about not pooping on the eggs. Some poop on the eggs. Not because of you lifting them out or not, or the conditions or anything - some are just messier than others. And the weather doesn't matter. She won't be off the eggs long enough to be a problem. We had a snowstorm and a massive drop in temperature during lockdown and hatch day, and the chicks were fine.

If you're worried about the height of the nesting box, then give her a ramp so she can get up and down more easily. You'll need a ramp anyway so the babies can come out after hatching.

 

[Arenas Chickens]

I don't want poopy eggs!

Had such a bad hatching rate last year with broodies who were brilliant but the weather was massively humid and hot as the tropics (yes, in the UK).

I just want to see if intervention or not is the best thing since humidity and temp is crucial. I want to leave them alone but also want to lift them off for 10 mins in lockdown as I've been doing throughout their broody time because I'm not sure they'll do it themselves or whether they should or not.

I overthink.

Another complicating factor is one hen is 2 feet off the ground and isn't used to jumping in and out of the nest.

You could be doing more harm than good by interfering that much, you could even unintentionally break her broodiness. Mom will have a great temp reading on the eggs and will get off them if she feels they are to hot. Much like us moms when we hold our babies with a fever, momma hens will absorb some of that residual.