should I be worried about my broodies?

[eenie114]

Or am I just paranoid? Anne and Ella havn't been off thier nests in 3 days. They've been on the nests for 4 days. Its like 95 degrees out there, and I'm worried they'll get dehydrated. I took them a dish of water, but Ella got really mad (not normal at all) and Anne ignored me.

should I worry?

 

[justbugged]

They usually have a good sense of self preservation. Broody's being irked at you sounds very normal. My nicest hen, turned into the devil incarnate, when she was broody. They are probably sneaking off the nest when you are not looking.

 

[rancher hicks]

I wouldn't worry. I've got a Del and she didn't look like she had been off either. Then today there were three super huge piles of poo. They don't seem to eat very much during brooding. Just enough to keep them going. Maybe that's why their combs fade.

You could put a little vitamins in the water. Maybe their system goes into suspended animation. Don't forget the pics after she's done.

 

[abqferreira]

I'm worried about this as well. Our first hen has gone broody about 4 days ago. I put fertile eggs under her last night, and I haven't seen her off the nest at all. I read in the forum that you shouldn't put food/water in the nest box because they need to get up daily and stretch/poo. I tried giving her food and water to see her response, and she started eating the food like she was ravenous.

What should I do for the next 3 weeks? Force her off her eggs daily? Just give in and let her eat on her eggs?

 

[MrChicken207]

Leave her be. She'll take care of herself. If you're worried about the heat, I'd make sure that you keep her in a cooler area, (shade, ventilation). Remember, chickens are tropical birds by nature. As a rule, they can handle 95 degrees alot better than we can. Forcing her off the eggs daily might break her of being broody.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am on day 15. I have two broodies, and only caught one hen off one time. The other does not look like she has EVER moved. BUT she has too, animals WILL be dead in 3 days without water. If she is alive and doing well, you can be confident that she is getting off to drink water, and if she is drinking, she is eating too.

Like an above post said, they know more about it, than we do. The best part of a broody is she does the work! Mrs.K

 

[rancher hicks]

It's a rare thing for me to see my broodies off the nest. I have a pen for one and i watch for softball size poos in the pen. They shwo up every couple of days for so.

Don't worry, just make sure they ahve food and water and watch for them eating and drinking.

 

[BeccaB00]

nah I wouldn't worry about it. Our hens do the same.

Somtimes our hens stay on their nests for daaaaayyyyyssss w/o food or water.

 

[pgpoultry]

Not wishing to worry folk, and, whilst agreeing with the earlier posts, some broody hens DO get it wrong.

It seems to happen particularly with the first clutch that the newbie broody just sits. I had a girl who I am pretty sure would have died if I had done nothing. She got lower and lower onto her eggs, and after 5 days when she had eaten no food and probably not drunk either, I found her with her head down (Food and water only a foot away).I picked her up from her eggs (no protest) and tried to stand her away from her eggs. She could not stand. I pushed the water dish under her head whilst holding her and she drank, and drank, and drank.....going on for about ten minutes. She took a little corn and could stand again after about 10 minutes. She spied her eggs and strolled back over. I lifted her again that same day when she drank copiously again, and thereafter lifted her daily to eat and drink out of sight of her eggs. She successfully hatched her eggs.

Broody again at the moment, she is getting off her eggs daily and eating and drinking by herself (Thank goodness!).

I think if the broody is taking food and fluid outside the box....great. If she won't come out....food and water in the box. Drastic measures only needed with the very rare exception.

Sandie