Judy the Broody is pretty good about routinely coming off the nest to eat, drink, and roll in the dust wallow once or twice a day. I will provide little dishes of food and water when the chicks hatch. She won't come off the nest for three days once they start pipping. I have a Silkie hen that I pick up once a day and she remains in a trance for a few minutes until she smells the water and feed. She goes back to the nest without assistance. I think she will learn to do it herself when she is more experienced.I have a question for those of you that have broodies. Do you feed them in the nest? Feed them anything special? Provide water somehow? With it being so hot, I've been picking them up off the nests and carry them outside near the food and water. Some will eat or drink, others won't. Recently, I've been mixing yogurt and a little food and place the dish near them after they come back in. They wolf the cold yogurt down. Water is a little hard without them dumping the water in the nest. Thanks. sue
Judy hasn't spilt food or water yet. I just use any old dish that's small. She is so ferocious on the nest, no other bird dares come near.