ok, its my very first time trying to let a broody hatch eggs-HELP!

[Kelly FG]

Ok so my crazy buff orp Sunny is broody again. Since the weather is warming up I figured I'd get her some eggs. I tried buying eggs here but couldn't coordinate it with anyone so I placed a couple of bids on eggbid. I won welsummer eggs, I only gave her three. I looked at the resources here & checked them for cracks & size.
So I put them under her at 6:30pm today.

How long will they take to hatch?
How long can she be off the nest to eat & drink?

anything else a newbie must know would be great!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Takes a Broody the same amount of time as in an incubator...21 days or so..

She should get up off the nest once a day to eat, drink or poo, sometimes 20 minutes, some take longer...but thats not set in stone...sometimes they go for days especially towards the end of the hatch.....

 

[Kelly FG]

I've got her in one of our regular nest boxes, can she stay there a while or should I prepare a special nest area for her now?

 

[agirlnamedrobie]

Okay, now I am the newbie at broody!! any suggestions??? any tips?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

My suggestions, I take my Broodies and put them in a place on the henhouse floor in wire dog crates, with food and water...I have removeable nest bins so I wait til evening and pick the hen and the nest of eggs up with her...that way she is more worried about sleeping then being moved around....make sure she has plenty of room for food, water and to be able to get up and poo...

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

I have "broody" boxes that I move mine to. Once a day when I do my morning chores I let them all out (and make the ones that don't wanna). Important thing for me was putting them where other hens couldn't get in the nest and leave their eggs. Sometimes eggs get broken that way and my broodies are usually one eggs I can't stand to lose....