What's up with my broody?

[BLaBauve]

I have a 1 year old first time broody Brahma. She sits on her eggs very well except for at around 3 pm she gets off..... she eats, drinks, dust bathes, and doesn't remember to get back on! Each day after an hour or two I put her back in the coop and she promptly gets on her eggs. She then will sit there through the night and we go through the same thing the next afternoon. We have a large run, and in one area you can't even see the coop. Maybe that's the problem? It's in the 90's here (Georgia) everyday so I know she gets off to cool down, but for hours? Is this normal?

 

[BLaBauve]

Hoping someone has experience

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

It varies. Some hens refuse to get off at all. (I have one.) Others get off every few hours for a few minutes (have one). Still yet others get off for an hour a day in the evening (have two). And I HAD one that would get off for a few hours every day in the middle of the day then get on again in the evening. Her eggs didn't hatch "as" well, but I couldn't be sure if it wasn't the high temps screwing up the eggs in the first place. 110* would tend to fry eggs...

 

[pgpoultry]

Yes, hens vary a lot. As a Brahma keeper I think that they are amongst the most beautiful of chickens, but they are not bright!

I suggest you place her by her eggs after about 25 minutes so she will remember she needs to brood.

of my last two broody Brahma hens one had to be lifted daily in order to drink and, having eventually hatched her eggs promptly soaked them with liquid poo such that I had to sponge them and dry them in an incubator as they nearly died of hypothermia......BUT a beautiful hen!

Sandie