When do brooding hens eat & drink?

[dustcover]

I have 9 hens, with 4 nesting boxes. Two of my hens have been in 2 of the nests 24/7, presumably brooding. There's always plenty of accessible food and water available for all the hens. But unless the two brooding hens are sneaking out of their nests at night to feed and drink, they are going without food and water. Is this normal, or will they just resume eating when they get hungry enough. They've been brooding for at least 2 weeks.

 

[MrsEskew]

Yes it is normal, they don't get up often when they are brooding. I would put food and water closer to them because they do not like to venture far from their nest. When they do get up its to relieve themselves because they usually won't go on the nest, take a quick dust bath, eat and drink, then back to the nest they go. That's what any of my broodies have done anyways and I've had a lot of them go broody and hatch babies.