There are many options for food that you could try.... I don't know if there is a 'limit' to how much scrambled egg they can eat, and it is better than nothing, but probably shouldn't be the only thing. When I do scrambled eggs for our chicks or hens I cook the eggs, then place it in a blender/chopper with a handful of hulled sunflower seeds or finch seeds to provide some different texture. I have also crumbled up a piece of graham cracker in it.This is Henley....
This is her second brood this year.
She is different each brood and is quite the diva and acts different each brood, so now I have a couple of questions about this time for you all.
For starters, I just placed 8 shipped eggs under a her 4 days ago. I let them settle for about 18 hours before giving them to her. I checked a couple last night, and since they are darker silkie eggs, couldn't see the air cell quite yet, but did see spider veining in them. I have been concerned about air cell issues also since these are shipped eggs. I have hatched successfully with broodies all year with their own eggs. Shipped eggs are a mystery to me.
Secondly, I was curious what you all would do about a broody that refuses to eat dry crumbles, she will eat some wet down, but not much. About the only thing she will eat is scrambled eggs. If I set those in front of her she devours them, but turns her beak up at anything else. How much scrambled eggs is safe? She wont touch yogurt and only tastes other stuff. I have some grit and cracked corn in her dry crumbles to encourage her to eat more, but she just picks out the corn. Grrr! She's a stinker! Her poops have been normal just very loose from the wet foods she has been eating. Have I inadvertently spoiled her? She is kinda thin since she was broody for a week before her eggs got here. So I'm just trying to get her to eat anything at all right now. She also has food and water right under her nose all the time if she gets hungry, so I'm not sure how much she is eating, her crop is small in the mornings from emptying over night, but her poops are dark green with what looks like crumbles specks in it. She eats grass every morning when she goes out to potty so I think the grass may be the culprit to the dark green color. I haven't seen the bright green empty tummy poos so thats comforting I suppose. I hope one of you can lend some insight to this. Thanks!
other broody treats I have successfully used....
.... canned or frozen corn, rinsed (to remove salts)
.... raisins
.... finely chopped apples, raw or cooked
.... tuna fish
.... baked or boiled white fish (we are fisherman and catch our own, the birds love it)
.... fine chopped chicken or hamburger
.... finely shredded lettuce
.....oatmeal with canned fruit juice or chopped canned fruits finely chopped into it (peaches and pears seem to be a big hit in our coop)
.... chopped cantaloupe or watermelon (a good treat, but lower nutritional value)
.... vanilla or flavored yogurt
chick crumbles can be mixed into many of these treats to help you sneak in the nutrition along with the treats....
Edit to add... forgot to include cat food.... I have crushed some in a plastic bag using a rolling pin. Another popular treat for the hens.
Last edited:
