Our very first broody! Some concerns though...

[onthespot]

and don't let anyone else brood with her or share the nest. They will break the eggs and fight over the chicks that hatch, often killing them in the process.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Yup. You don't want food and water close, because you want her to get a little exercise while she's off. Broodiness is a bit hard on them, they lose some weight and muscles get a bit weak. Once in a while one won't get up at all, but almost always they do, generally once a day.

I used to have one that for some reason would choose my morning visit as her time to get off the nest, which is unusual, from what I read. I used to sit down and watch, She'd stay off maybe 20 minutes, dust bathe, preen, peck and scratch a little, and chow down and drink, and of course, do the smelly thing, fortunately usually outside. If weather was really cold she stayed off a shorter time. Broody poops are a lot less difficult to be around when outside!

 

[gmendoza]

Heres last years pic of Flame Jr while broody:

^
| runny chicken poo

She had water to the left ( off camera) and enough room to stretch and relieve herself.

Right now she is broody on 18 yeggs under the quail hutch.The quail hutch has a solid floor,but elevated about 2' off the ground.I thought it would serve a good purposed to put her there this year since the place where she was at last year is the ducks coop now. its almost 3'x3'x2'high.She is sitting in a 7 gal bucket turned upside down with a hole on the side.We use hay for the nesting box lining because it does good to keep heat in.She is isolated in her own box away from the other chickens.If you have a set-up like this,there is no need to take the hen off the eggs manually.let her do it herself.

 

[Moochie]

heres the roo, melvin

possible mom #1

possible mom #2

and possible mom #3 is a blue cochin.
whatcha think the outcomes will look like? i hope awesome pretty mutts, and with melvin being huge they will too! maybe they will atleast.
according to my mom she hasnt come out and today is her third day. if i leave food or scratch in there for a bit she'll eat it but she will not touch water. its hard to differentiate big poop from melvin's poop... his is like ice cream scoop size.
and here's momma