My broody hen doesn't eat or drink

[Hasan713]

Hello, everyone
I have kept hens for a few years, but have never let a broody hen to hatch. This time I decided to give them a chance. So my broody hen is sitting on her eggs and today is her 5th day. In these 5 days, she has not eaten and drunk anything. She just sits and sits and sits AND SITS. No poop and absolutely no evidence of eating& drinking. I don't even understand how does she even still live without eating & drinking for straight 5 days. I check her in every 2-3 hours and she doesn't even change her sitting pose. I am very worried that she still has 16 days to go and if keeps this, she can die.
I have tried to make her walk and eat, but she just immediately runs back to her nest. Also, she is a bit afraid hen, I mean, when you grab her, or try to feed her by injecting food to her mouth, she gets very angry and scared- screams, runs like crazy, tries to fly. She doesn't like being bothered. What should I do? Please help me

 

[5 Points Wingfeather]

They need very little food and water while brooding. You can try putting some in your hand to hand feed (not force injecting into mouth but just offering) her but it’s probably not necessary. Their bodies were designed for this. When she gets hungry and thirsty enough she will likely go eat and drink. It might be every 2-3 days for only 15 minutes So you may just not be seeing it.

If you’re super worried and if it’s going to stress you out you could “break” her of her broodiness by putting her in a wire cage with air flow under it for 48 hours with food and water available.

 

[Hasan713]

They need very little food and water while brooding. You can try putting some in your hand to hand feed (not force injecting into mouth but just offering) her but it’s probably not necessary. Their bodies were designed for this. When she gets hungry and thirsty enough she will likely go eat and drink. It might be every 2-3 days for only 15 minutes So you may just not be seeing it.

If you’re super worried and if it’s going to stress you out you could “break” her of her broodiness by putting her in a wire cage with air flow under it for 48 hours with food and water available.

I will try to offer her food, but she very likely will just bite my hand. Still will try it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What does the area of her nest look like? Do you have her confined or is she free to roam as she will?

Before a hen even starts to lay she builds up excess fat, a lot of excess fat. This excess fat is what she mostly lives on when broody. That way she can stay on the nest and take care of the eggs instead of having to look for food and water.

I have had a broody hen leave her nest twice a day for over one hour each time. I've had a broody hen leave her nest once a day for only 15 minutes. I've had several somewhere in between. I've had some broody hens that I never saw come off of their nest but I knew they were coming off because they were not pooping in the nest. Practically all of these hens had good hatches.

Sometimes when I remove a broody hen from the nest she goes to eat, drink, poop, and perhaps take a dust bath. Sometimes she squats where I put her for a short while and then goes back to her nest like yours does. I don't know what evidence you have that she is not eating, drinking, or pooping, that's why I ask about the nest area. But I don't read anything to make me believe she is doing anything unusual except that she is never coming off of the nest.

 

[bobbi-j]

I would leave her be. If given the choice, broodies tend to want to be left alone while setting. If they can, they will often find a secluded place to hide their nests and “disappear” until after the chicks have hatched. If you can, I would suggest sectioning off an area around her nest, put food and water out for her where she has to get off the nest to get to them, and then maybe check on her once a day or so, just to see if she needs more food or water.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

I will try to offer her food, but she very likely will just bite my hand. Still will try it.

Plastic serving spoon will help. Same principle as supping with the devil.

 

[neo71665]

Sitting is rough on a bird but they have evolved to build up fat before they sit and will survive if they are left to do their natural thing. Leave her acess to food and water and she will get up and eat when she feels safe. You bothering her will trigger the natural instinct to stay put and try to keep her eggs safe.

Chickens have been hatching eggs for a long time. They have the process worked out and don't need help.