I thought broody hens were supposed to...

[PaulaJoAnne]

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With todays breeding, we are lucky to still have any broodiness.
I have yet to have a broody that would get off the nest on her own.
I do it for them.
I did have one almost die.
After 5 days of no eating or drinking , I pulled her off, and force fed her, and kept her off till she pooped.
And it was the most awfull mess I have ever seen.
I had to syringe feed her the rest of the time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My broodies came off daily, but my broodies were always in warm weather. The warmer it was, the more they came off and the longer they stayed off. I never had to worry about them not eating, drinking or relieving themselves.

Illia is probably right. They are probably taking care of themselves. I don't see any problem with you taking them off the nest once a day. I did that as a regular thing growing up when I'd check under our broodies for eggs every day around 5:30. If they eat, drink or relieve themselves when you do that, good. If they run back to the nest, let them. I'd see that they can get to food and water and let them be chickens.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I do know my girl would "sneak" her food/water breaks when I wasn't around. I think it's a nest preservation thing. But the food level was going down, and she was the only one with access to the food.

 

[gritsar]

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I have noticed that the SF does stay off longer on warmer days, less on colder days. Today we barely hit 40 degrees. She stayed off the nest for maybe five minutes.
Not every day, but occasionally I will see some of her food gone, so I don't worry about her so much anymore. She and I have a routine and she now anticipates me coming to take her off the nest. When we hit 70* the other day, she was actually in a hurry to leave the nest. She stayed off it for almost an hour.
Now to deal with the two silkies. I guess I'll just keep food and water in front of them, take them off the nest once a day and what the hey, I have 10+ dozen eggs in the frig. right now; I'll start cooking them up some eggs each day.

 

[justtoni44]

I had a pair of Cuckoo marans last year that were broody at the same time.
I worried also that they would not leave the nest.............

interestingly, i did not see them eat, drink, poop until about the last week of hatchicng..Then they would switch nests...to funny.
I believe they were getting food and water when I did not see them.
Oh, and when they hatched the chicks out, they shared Mom duties

 

[NellaBean]

I've had lots of broodies but have never had to force them off the nest. I've noticed sometimes they don't get off the nest every day.

 

[gritsar]

Thanks all

 

[Happy Chooks]

If you think about it, they don't expend much energy sitting on a nest and not laying eggs. So they don't need to eat as much as often.

 

[Ridgerunner]

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Or leave the nest to make a stinky as often since they don't eat as much.

I don't remember who, but one of the regulars on here weighed their broodies and found theirs normally lost about 30% of body weight while brooding. Pretty sure that was during warm weather. It is a stressful time with them and there are risks, but they do it all the time. There are risks no matter what you do. I prefer a broody to an incubator and brooder any time.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Or leave the nest to make a stinky as often since they don't eat as much.

I don't remember who, but one of the regulars on here weighed their broodies and found theirs normally lost about 30% of body weight while brooding. Pretty sure that was during warm weather. It is a stressful time with them and there are risks, but they do it all the time. There are risks no matter what you do. I prefer a broody to an incubator and brooder any time.

Me too Ridge, although I have the broodies and the incubator all brooding at the same time right now....WHAT was I thinking?!?

If these girls had waited a few months to finish maturing themselves before starting this broody nonsense I probably wouldn't be worried.

Okay, I would still worry, but not as much.