Why dont they Eat?

[wbruder17]

My broodies get sequestered in a boody box and pen while they are setting. My silkie won't get off the nest for ANYTHING....even pooping where she sets, which gets pretty gross.... but, they don't even seem to eat! My silkie lost so much weight during her setting, that I have now begun the practive of giving them scrambled eggs and cheese, just so they get enough nutrience.

I have an Austrolorpe setting now. Its her first time, but she does not seem to be eating much either, and she is my biggest piggy, normally. She will eat the scrambled eggs, but doesn't seem to be eating her real food. Why is it so hard to get them to eat? Don't they need to eat? What the heck?

 

[wilhiteranch]

I am curious about this too, so I'm bumping your post..!

 

[AngelzFyre]

They usually get off the nest at least once daily to eat/drink...their poops are huge and stinky during the time they are broody.

Some try to break the cycle, but I just let them go through it and put an extra feeder/waterer close to the nest box and also put some scratch and extra treats in reach. I do gather eggs daily so they don't get to hatch any.

They do lose a bit of weight but not nearly as much as before I started this practice.

 

[wbruder17]

Angelz....yes, they USUALLY or are SUPPOSED to get up once or twice a day to do their thing, but my silkie doesn't. She's a Big Old pain in the butt. However, she goes broody like clockwork, never gives up on a nest, and hatches and raises her babies exceptionally. So I keep using her, even tho I KNOW I will be wiping nasty broody poo out of the box for 3 weeks.

 

[wbruder17]

Also, I was worried about her loss of weight because she sat on a clutch for over a month (the first batch was no good after a week and a half, so I refreshed them) and then went broody again, like 2 weeks later and WILL NOT BREAK once she's broody. So she was very skinny and skraggly.

 

[NonnasBabies]

You need to physically pick her up and take her off the nest. My very first broody was like that!! When I went out and threw scratch to the other I would pick her up move her about 6-8 ft from the nest and she would peck a little of the scratch and go potty. As far as eating I made sure there was food and water right there for them but I also fed her scrambled eggs every couple of days!! She never got really skinny!!

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
I have actually picked her off the nest (with gloves, as she is VICIOUS) and she just flies off the handle. She freaks out, attacking everything in sight, from other chickens, to me, and the dogs. And it is so hard to catch her afterwards (she's drawn blood before) that its almost just easier to clean up her nasty poo nest.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
I have actually picked her off the nest (with gloves, as she is VICIOUS) and she just flies off the handle. She freaks out, attacking everything in sight, from other chickens, to me, and the dogs. And it is so hard to catch her afterwards (she's drawn blood before) that its almost just easier to clean up her nasty poo nest.

Never had that issue before!! I do my best to break her then!!

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
I have actually picked her off the nest (with gloves, as she is VICIOUS) and she just flies off the handle. She freaks out, attacking everything in sight, from other chickens, to me, and the dogs. And it is so hard to catch her afterwards (she's drawn blood before) that its almost just easier to clean up her nasty poo nest.

Never had that issue before!! I do my best to break her then!!

Yea, but she is Such a good broody otherwise. She has hatched for me consistently, 4 broods now. And raises the babies so well. She is my go to whenever I want to hatch eggs. I guess its worth the hassle.