sitting broody question?

[mikden]

Hey Everyone....
My broody is sitting on our first clutch of hatching eggs. My question is this how long is safe to let your broody off the nest of eggs in order to dust bathe, eat, drink, poop? I'm using a broody box in a draft free building seperate from the rest of the flock... she also has water and food in the broody box, but she won't touch it, also she's so far not pooped the nest.

 

[goldnchocolate]

I used to take mine out of her nest, each evening, and put her near the food and water. She would take a drink, have a bite to eat, do a giant poop and then head right back to her nest.

 

[dacjohns]

All you need to do is have food and water available. She will get off the nest when she needs to and get back on. Let nature take its course and try not to chew on your fingernails.

 

[mikden]

Thank you for the response...Is it that obvious that I'm a nervous parent..lol...The reason I'm curious is that when I had my Broody in practice for a couple of days (sitting on golf balls waiting for eggs to arrive) when I'd let her off the nest once or twice a day she would do the usual things (drink first, eat a little, poop a big stinky mess, then dust bathe for a long time) she would stay off the nest for 30 min. or longer if I didn't put her back on the nest. As soon as I would put her back on the nest she would settle right down on the eggs and zone out (go broody) clucking contently... Is this normal or am I being anxious....Is up to a half hour too long? I've been putting her back in after 20 mins since the eggs arrived and she started incubating them. help..

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
How did you keep her on the nest. You might have to keep doing what you are doing. If it works then it may not need to be fixed.

 

[NicInNC]

I see my broody outside first thing in the morning and occasionally in the afternoon. She's off the eggs anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.

 

[mikden]

Quote:
How did you keep her on the nest. You might have to keep doing what you are doing. If it works then it may not need to be fixed.

She goes right to any nest with eggs in it.. she's been almost impossible to break from being broody in the past... from what I've read on this site she is a very stubborn broody hen. All I do is set her near a nest with eggs and she eases onto the eggs and kind off zones out in her broody zen-like state almost immediately. She's a Buff orpington hen and others on this site say they still have some of the broody trait, I'd say she got hammered with it.

 

[mikden]

Quote:
It's Okay to let them off for up to an hour...really? I was worried the eggs would chill and die after 15-30mins... You've had good hatches with your hens even when they leave the nest that long? I see your in NC...what about in during cooler weather?

 

[NicInNC]

Quote:
[URL]http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-shocked016.gif[/URL]It's Okay to let them off for up to an hour...really? I was worried the eggs would chill and die after 15-30mins... You've had good hatches with your hens even when they leave the nest that long? I see your in NC...what about in during cooler weather?

This is our first time ever hatching so I don't know how successful it will be. I candled last week and there was a ton of movement so I know they were ok. I'm going to candle tonight for the last time. I'll let you know if I still see movement.

We had some really warm days last week so I wasn't too worried about the cold. Last night got back into the upper 30's but it's supposed to warm back up to near 80 this coming week.

 

[Lollipop]

here`s the deal. A broody needs her own small pen with food, water, and enough room to eliminate. She needs to be protected from other chickens, male or female. Hens that have access will add eggs to a started brood and that`s a no no. Other than that, she needs to be left alone unless you are candling. She will follow her urges to eat, drink, and eliminate. She will stretch and return to the nest when she needs to........Pop