What do I give my broody hens to eat?

[firehawk0285]

Mix it up. Dubias are another possibility. Check out discountdubias.com

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I keep a mixture of scratch and gamebird feed or flockraiser right near their nest. I do make it a point to bring them scraps or cook them an egg with some tuna and cheese.
Some of mine drop a lot of weight while sitting and it worries me.

Mama Nature is quite adapt at protecting her creatures. As the eggs get closer to piping the egg shells naturally get thinner, I think it is part of the plan for mama hens to drop a little weight, it may protect the eggs. Also while squiring chicks around, hens eat like.... well they eat like a bird. So I feel that it is quite natural for both a sitting or brooding hen to drop weight while they are sitting or brooding chicks.

Just make sure that she has food and water available to her at all times just in case you are discombobulated about when she is next due to come off the nest. If she has managed to feed herself up until such time that she takes to her nest, then she will not have forgotten how to eat once she becomes hungry. Hard boiled eggs are the best way to feed eggs to chickens but sitting hens will do very well indeed with just pellets, scratch feed, or even shelled corn. This diet is not forever but it is vastly better than what most of our great-grand maws hens ate every day down on the farm.

Oh yes, Welcome to the flock.

 

[KatieWV]

This website is so helpful

 

[EddieSalita]

Chick crumble. Or if you want to spoil them some gamebird feed.