"lock down" broody hen?

[TurtleChick]

....the way all you enablers do with 'bators?

i have 3 broody orps sitting on eggs right now. none of my girls will come off of the nests on their own to eat/drink/dust/poooooop - probably due in large part to them being used to me booting them once or twice a day (a habit which evolved when they went broody and i was trying to break them by multiple unceremonious removals-from-nest per day). i have no idea tho - should i stop doing that around day 18ish just like i would if the babes were in a 'bator? or just keep doing what i've been doing?

they are all in broody coops of their own (about the size of rabbit hutch and with a separate nesting box area) and i usually boot them in the morning and they stay out for around 15 or 20 minutes (mostly spent dust bathing) - and have only bumped them for a second outing the past 2 days because we've had some record high temp days (up 30 degrees from the record cool temps we were having just days ago - ARGH) and want mostly to make sure they're hydrated, etc. i figured it wouldn't be too harmful for the eggies since it's been in the 90's ouside anyway....

so! continue booting til i see pipping/hear peeping or leave em be pretty soon? (day 16 today)

thanks in advance!

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I have no idea. My understanding is to leave well enough alone...not that I can do that.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Yeh, i've done broody lock-down around the last few days, or rather, they lock themselves down. At that point, i put water and food easily within reach, and even go out several times a day to hold the food and water containers up to their beaks so they don't have to move. i'll mash up hard boiled egg as a treat and hold a plate right under their beaks. i can generally get some nourishment into them this way. But if they refuse to eat for me, i just make sure it's close enough for them to reach without getting up.

 

[aoxa]

Yeh, i've done broody lock-down around the last few days, or rather, they lock themselves down.  At that point, i put water and food easily within reach, and even go out several times a day to hold the food and water containers up to their beaks so they don't have to move.  i'll mash up hard boiled egg as a treat and hold a plate right under their beaks.  i can generally get some nourishment into them this way.  But if they refuse to eat for me, i just make sure it's close enough for them to reach without getting up.

Don't mean to start an old thread up again, but what happens when they need to poop? If they eat.. they have to poop :/

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Don't mean to start an old thread up again, but what happens when they need to poop? If they eat.. they have to poop

Broodies can hold it for a long time, but yes they do poop, and OMG it is stinky!

As long as the eggs are not in the midst of hatching, i try to pull out the poo mess and shove clean bedding back underneath. Once the chicks are hatched it's easy as the mom will get up several times a day to make sure her babies are eating. Once she is mobile, she tends to poo away from the nest. But while she is on the nest, i am basically her servant.