How do you manage broody lockdown?

[Chicalina]

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.

I'm more worried they will get cold now. The heat was last summer. We are in spring here and it is getting down to freezing at night still.

 

[Chicalina]

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.

She won't poop in the nest if she can help it.

Wow that's amazing you hatched in snowstorm! Yes I could make a ramp, but I'm planning on moving her to the lower nest space just before lockdown, as that broody will have been moved with 2 week old chicks to the main coop by then.

I've got two gals at the moment, sitting 2 weeks apart.

 

[Chicalina]

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.

Exciting!

 

[Chicalina]

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

All true, thanks

 

[neo71665]

I have a cage I put my broody in if I want her to hatch. It has a nest and space for a waterer and feeder.

If I don't want her to hatch I use the same cage with the nest part removed.