Our very first broody! Some concerns though...

[Moochie]

*I would just like to note that my mom refuses to buy an incubator, she says "its up to momma or no chicks at all".
So our nice mutt is broody! Yay! She's comfy, and has 4 eggs I think under her. I don't think any are hers.. Maybe one is. My concerns are her health and well-being. Expirienced broody owners, I ask for any advice. My mom says she doesn't come out to drink, eat, or poop. Today is her second day.
My biggest fear is that she'll snap out of broodiness before the 21 days is up and leave eggs that have some partially grown chick inside. Kinda gross and sad, I've always wanted chicks of me own.. Well her own.
Tomorrow I will be posting pics of the roo and the pullets' eggs (er the pullets themselves) that he fertilized. It would be intresting to know what mutts we could be getting, as far as looks go

 

[Break an Egg]

I would put food and water very close, but don't put the water close enough to spill on the eggs. Good luck. Broodies are great.

 

[Moochie]

And what about using the facilities?

 

[NurseNettie]

I've really only had 1 broody that we let go with eggs under her a few times.

They will come out to poop, after a long, long time. You WILL know when. Trust me. The volume and odor will tell you.

They will eat and drink, but not much.

First round with our banty frizzle/ showgirl-- we were concerned, and it was the middle of a sub zero couple weeks in December. We made sure she had a warm area/ warm nest. And I made her get off the eggs once a day. She always had un-frozen water, and food- but that once a day-- I made scrambled eggs and oatmeal, with some mash mixed in, and had fresh water next to it. Brought her away from nest, but not out of site, and sort of scolded her into eating LOL. She did-- ate every bit, drank, pooped, and went right back. After that, I did this once a day, and she came right out, ate, drank... usually pooped only every other day though.... But we had a routine.

Your mileage may vary-- this was just how I made "myself" feel better---- they really do know what to do, and when to do it though. They've done it a long time before we started helping them.

 

[elmo]

Hens do come off the nest every day, usually for 15 minutes or so, to eat, poop and drink. One in particular of ours also loved to take a dustbath. The broody dropping will be huge, because it's a whole 24 hours of accumulated waste all in one big poo. That's often how you can tell that the broody has been off the nest, by spotting the big dropping.

 

[kingdr85]

Some broody hens DO NOT COME OUT AT ALL...maybe 2 or 3 times during the 21 days. My father and grandfather always had chickens (Hundreds of them) and they had hens that did not come out once. They were pretty skinny when they came out but they will not always come out. I would put food and water near by and if she really wants it she will get up and get some.

 

[bobbi-j]

Think about it - if broodies weren't able to take care of themselves while nesting, or their "alarm clocks" go off early and they all abandonded the nests before they were ready, chickens would be very hard to come by!

Really - she'll be fine. They're really not burning any calories so they don't need to eat as much. Enjoy watching and waiting! I prefer a broody over an incubator. A lot less work that way! The temperature and humidity are always right, and you don't have to turn the eggs. The only drawback is, with an incubator you get to watch the chicks hatching (I've been known to sit up all night watching), with a broody you can't.

 

[bethandjoeync]

my experience with our broody was she came out once a day to eat and drink and plant a stinking landmine in the coop! then right back to the nest she went, before the other girls got too curious. let nature do it's thing! chickens have done this for centuries....and they still do a great job!

if you can seclude her from the rest of the flock and put her food and water just out of reach so she does get up(it's good for her to stretch and walk a bit and not just sit alll the time).

 

[onthespot]

I dust mine with poultry dust at the first sign of broodiness. They don't dust bathe and can become quickly overrun wtih tiny mites that can actually kill them. I also toss mine off the nest at least once a day, and usually they will head straight to eat and drink. That is in addition to setting food and water near them. Also, check the nest every day for poop. Some poop in their nests, some don't. Less poo means cleaner eggs, better chance they will hatch. Don't be afraid to change the bedding if necccessary. Put a mark on the eggs she is setting, so if something else lays in there, you will know which ones she has been incubating already and remove any that are not marked, every day. Good luck, and post pics!

 

[schellie69]

My broody would get off her nest once a day to eat and drink and poo trust me you will know when she poo's it stinks. Have fun with your broody make sure that when it comes time to hatch the chicks the other hens can not get to the mama and babies.