MJ's little flock

[Marie2020]

Good evening folks

Hello

 

[MaryJanet]

We have had so many lost these past few weeks.
I'm sorry your Dora has gone

It happened years ago Marie. 2016 I think it was.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

 

[Grammy60]

Good morning/evening MJ and everyone

 

[Marie2020]

It happened years ago Marie. 2016 I think it was.

We still remember them

 

[MaryJanet]

Old Gorgeous having a comfy sit down on a Saturday morning.

 

[MaryJanet]

A question for the brains trust: how often should Peggy get up to eat and drink?

I can't say she's making a habit of it.

 

[Ribh]

A question for the brains trust: how often should Peggy get up to eat and drink?

I can't say she's making a habit of it.

Once a day. Or that's what I remember being told.

 

[MaryJanet]

Once a day. Or that's what I remember being told.

I found a thread where some said let them decide, others said get them up, others said put food and water nearby.

 

[Shadrach]

A question for the brains trust: how often should Peggy get up to eat and drink?

I can't say she's making a habit of it.

Every day.
If a broody didn't get off her nest (assuming I had found her by then) every day, then I took them off.
You need to prepare a bowl of food and water. Gently lift the hen of her nest and carry her to the food and water. Make sure the hen stands up. Don't let her eat half crouched or sitting. Often once they are awake they jump into the air and make a strange call. Don't worry about that. It means they are awake and fight ready. Bear in mind all feral hens survive by doing this, None eat at the nest site.
Apart from not having food at the nest site normally, a broody hen needs to dust bath and poop away from the nest. Dust bathing helps them to control the humidity at the nest site. They usually prefer slightly moist soil ime. In the jungle it's realtively easy to find. In Catalonia there were favourite spots where broodies used to bath.
If necessary shut the broody out of the nest site for up to 15 mins.
Most get the hang of the routine. Most leave the nest at the same time each day as long as the weather and temperature are reasonably constant.
It's these what may seem unimportant things that help ensure a decent hatch rate and healthy chicks.
There were a couple of hens that I had to take off their nest every day for 20 days. It's well worth doing.