ChickenJames
Chirping
- Apr 9, 2018
- 37
- 24
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Have a broody hen that I haven't seen get up from her eggs to eat. Do I just put some feed in front of her or...
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When they do get up it is usually quick so we just don't see them.Have a broody hen that I haven't seen get up from her eggs to eat. Do I just put some feed in front of her or...
My hen has around 10-15 eggs under her because some are from other hens laying in her nest. She sits on all of the eggsWhen they do get up it is usually quick so we just don't see them.
I will NOT put food or water next to a broody UNTIL chicks hatch. Pass on inviting other birds to harass her even more or rodents that might think it's a great place to feed. It stays in it's usual location and get collected EVERY night. If I am worried she isn't going out often enough, then I will boot her from the nest a couple times per day. I have never broken a broody hen simply by booting them.
Are you planning to give her chicks or let her hatch eggs?
Note that once they are indeed broody... their body goes into a sort of hibernation mode where it seems to slow down digestion and other processes making it easier to not defecate in the nest or have to leave as often.
Good luck!![]()
My incubator right now is full. 42 eggs in the incubator since May 27th. I will probably just take the newer eggs in for eatingSo likely you'll have a staggered hatch if you didn't mark the original eggs and remove all the newer volunteers. Once chicks start to hatch, she won't stay on the eggs more than a couple days. All the newer eggs will be abandoned. Unless you rapidly move those eggs to an incubator, the embryos will chill and die.
Get those new eggs out as fast as ya can to avoid the staggered hatch issue. Collect the added eggs nightly if you can. I completely agree with @ChickenCanoe I feed all my birds Purina flock raiser from start to finish with oyster shell on the side for active layers because I always have different ages like you will for a while and feeding separately just isn't feasible.My hen has around 10-15 eggs under her because some are from other hens laying in her nest. She sits on all of the eggs
Absolutely unnecessary....I lift my Hen off the nest to encourage her to poop and stretch her legs.