Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[rebecuna]

Update on my broody: She's been sitting now for 2.5 days and it doesn't look like she's gotten off the nest at all. Will I need to encourage her to eat? She doesn't seem to have touched the food or water right outside her nest box, and there's no poop. I put eggs under her earlier today and she squawked at me but didn't get up even when I kind of lifted her from behind to get the eggs under her. I trust her instincts to know what to do, but seriously... how long can she go without eating or pooing and be okay?!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Update on my broody: She's been sitting now for 2.5 days and it doesn't look like she's gotten off the nest at all. Will I need to encourage her to eat? She doesn't seem to have touched the food or water right outside her nest box, and there's no poop. I put eggs under her earlier today and she squawked at me but didn't get up even when I kind of lifted her from behind to get the eggs under her. I trust her instincts to know what to do, but seriously... how long can she go without eating or pooing and be okay?!

 

Early on in the broody phase with a new broody I will take her off the nest and put her by the waterer. She will typically drink, eat and drop a huge stinky poop, dust bathe, then return to the nest. I verify this for a new broody. Seasoned veterans know what to do, the newbies might need some guidance.

 

[bobbieschicks]

They still love each other :

Adorable.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Update on my broody: She's been sitting now for 2.5 days and it doesn't look like she's gotten off the nest at all. Will I need to encourage her to eat? She doesn't seem to have touched the food or water right outside her nest box, and there's no poop. I put eggs under her earlier today and she squawked at me but didn't get up even when I kind of lifted her from behind to get the eggs under her. I trust her instincts to know what to do, but seriously... how long can she go without eating or pooing and be okay?!

I had to kick our broody off her nest 1-2 times a day when she started getting realllly skinny because she was one determined broody hen! She wouldn't leave that nest unless I kicked her out of the coop and she was ticked off like nothing I've ever seen each time I did so, but she needed to food, water, exercise, and to poop!!

 

[delisha]

Nice to see pictures John.. very nice

 

[Birdragon]

I had a small flock of four, and last year two hens got broody at the same time. It didn't occur to me to take them away to hatch the chicks! They were all fine, and I think maybe it's better to have them with the rest of the flock to insert themselves into the pecking order when young. The other hens didn't seem bothered by the chicks and ignored them mostly. Maybe you should remove her if you have a bigger flock, though. I now have a flock of seven (four of the seven chicks were roosters) and one is broody again, so we'll see how it goes!

 

[Johnn]

Thankyou to anyone who left nice comments on the pics

 

[rebecuna]

I had to kick our broody off her nest 1-2 times a day when she started getting realllly skinny because she was one determined broody hen! She wouldn't leave that nest unless I kicked her out of the coop and she was ticked off like nothing I've ever seen each time I did so, but she needed to food, water, exercise, and to poop!!

Did you need to put her back on, too? Mine was so excited to get outside once I broke her out of her trance that she hung around nibbling on grass and hanging out with the other girls. After 20 minutes I got nervous and picked her back up and put her in the broody box, which she wasn't happy about. She hopped right back out of the nest box, and ate some more food, then 5 minutes later pooped, and then she got back on her nest by herself. So can I trust her sense of timing or will i need to be this vigilant every day??

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
I just trusted mine. Never put her back. Sometimes she was off as long as 45 minutes but she seems to know what she was doing. Don't worry

 

[bobbieschicks]

Did you need to put her back on, too? Mine was so excited to get outside once I broke her out of her trance that she hung around nibbling on grass and hanging out with the other girls. After 20 minutes I got nervous and picked her back up and put her in the broody box, which she wasn't happy about. She hopped right back out of the nest box, and ate some more food, then 5 minutes later pooped, and then she got back on her nest by herself. So can I trust her sense of timing or will i need to be this vigilant every day??

I wouldn't bother with her, she's got the timing down. If it makes you feel better to move her, then go ahead, but you don't have to. And they do eat & drink when you aren't watching them, so you don't have to do that either.