Will my Broody Hen be ok?

[GitaBooks]

I had a broody hen (Susie) who was very dedicated to her nest. Generally my broodies get up in the morning, when I let the other chickens out of their roosting room. But Susie apparently stayed on her nest for at least a couple days, if not more, as there didn't seem to be any change in the food or water level in her pen.
She was really stiff when she finally did get up to feed and drink, but she was fine.

As for marking your eggs to keep track of them, that is a very good idea. I prefer my broodies to be in pens because otherwise my other hens chase them off their nests to lay in them (they can be so stubborn), sometimes breaking eggs or even killing hatching chicks in the process. Still, not all broodies want to set inside of a pen, and in these cases, marking with a pencil or marker will help you know which eggs are hers and which aren't.
I check the eggs when the hens get off to eat and drink, which is usually the same time each day.

Good luck with your chicks!

 

[scflock]

I had a broody hen (Susie) who was very dedicated to her nest. Generally my broodies get up in the morning, when I let the other chickens out of their roosting room. But Susie apparently stayed on her nest for at least a couple days, if not more, as there didn't seem to be any change in the food or water level in her pen.
She was really stiff when she finally did get up to feed and drink, but she was fine.

As for marking your eggs to keep track of them, that is a very good idea. I prefer my broodies to be in pens because otherwise my other hens chase them off their nests to lay in them (they can be so stubborn), sometimes breaking eggs or even killing hatching chicks in the process. Still, not all broodies want to set inside of a pen, and in these cases, marking with a pencil or marker will help you know which eggs are hers and which aren't.
I check the eggs when the hens get off to eat and drink, which is usually the same time each day.

Good luck with your chicks!

I have had one instance of hens killing chicks hatched in a pen. It was a cuckoo marans pen, and it was the first clutch ever hatched. The non broodies destroyed those chicks the same way they would a mouse. Against my better judgement, I let the next broody hatch in the same pen. This time she protected the chicks more, getting very aggressive with the other hens, and the hens got used to them being around. I have since hatched 4 more clutches in that pen without incident. It can happen, but at least in my case it is rare

 

[chickengeorgeto]

ok thanks.
So I don't need to put food and water closer to her?

No you don't need to put food and water close to her. In fact I would discourage you from putting food and water where a hen can reach it from her nest.

What goes up must come down. Likewise what goes in has to come out. One of the arch reasons that setting hens leave the nest every 3 or 5 days is to empty her bowls. Although I have faith in the instincts of a mother hen, I suspect that most of the people reading this post have never seen the poop that a setting hen poops. I am telling you people that a brooding hen's poop is spectacular beyond belief. It is about the same size as the eggs that the hen lays, maybe larger. The smell is like nothing else in the chicken domain and it will assault your nose before you can see the nest. I want to encourage my sitting hens to get off of their nests before they defalcate and having the food and water far enough away that the sitting hen must arise and leave the nest in order to eat and drink is the best way that I know to encourage her to poop somewhere else besides in her nest.

 

[scflock]

I suspect that most of the people reading this post have never seen the poop that a setting hen poops. I am telling you people that a brooding hen's poop is spectacular beyond belief. It is about the same size as the eggs that the hen lays, maybe larger. The smell is like nothing else in the chicken domain and it will assault your nose before you can see the nest.

I have seen it, and I concur

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

No you don't need to put food and water close to her. In fact I would discourage you from putting food and water where a hen can reach it from her nest.

What goes up must come down. Likewise what goes in has to come out. One of the arch reasons that setting hens leave the nest every 3 or 5 days is to empty her bowls. Although I have faith in the instincts of a mother hen, I suspect that most of the people reading this post have never seen the poop that a setting hen poops. I am telling you people that a brooding hen's poop is spectacular beyond belief. It is about the same size as the eggs that the hen lays, maybe larger. The smell is like nothing else in the chicken domain and it will assault your nose before you can see the nest. I want to encourage my sitting hens to get off of their nests before they defalcate and having the food and water far enough away that the sitting hen must arise and leave the nest in order to eat and drink is the best way that I know to encourage her to poop somewhere else besides in her nest.

Lord yes - there is nothing quite like a broody poop!

 

[scflock]

Lord yes - there is nothing quite like a broody poop!

I made a brooder out of one

 

[ANNIE777]

My young broody hen seems to rarely get off the nest. Today we had to move her because there was a broken egg in the nest box. We had to clean her up and noticed that she has lost all her feathers on her breast and underside (stomach). This was rather alarming. We washed her up then gently dried her with a hair dryer on barely warm setting. Some feathers would not dry. Has anyone else had a hen that lost feathers while sitting on eggs?

 

[WalnutHill]

That is perfectly normal. They pluck feathers so that the warm, bare breast skin contacts the eggs. My Broad Breasted Bronze hen has a vast expanse of bare skin, it's soft and warm. No wonder chicks like snuggling!

 

[scflock]

My young broody hen seems to rarely get off the nest. Today we had to move her because there was a broken egg in the nest box. We had to clean her up and noticed that she has lost all her feathers on her breast and underside (stomach). This was rather alarming. We washed her up then gently dried her with a hair dryer on barely warm setting. Some feathers would not dry. Has anyone else had a hen that lost feathers while sitting on eggs?

That is a natural part of the brooding process. The feathers come out to put the egg in closer contact, making it easier to maintain temps. Absolutely nothing wrong with her

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

My young broody hen seems to rarely get off the nest. Today we had to move her because there was a broken egg in the nest box. We had to clean her up and noticed that she has lost all her feathers on her breast and underside (stomach). This was rather alarming. We washed her up then gently dried her with a hair dryer on barely warm setting. Some feathers would not dry. Has anyone else had a hen that lost feathers while sitting on eggs?

welcome to BYC!
What you noticed is actually a very normal part of the brooding process and not anything to be alarmed about. A broody hen will often pluck the feathers from her breast and underside. Doing so exposes the skin below so that there will be the best contact between bird and eggs and allow for the best transfer of heat from her body to incubate the eggs. Many hens will use the plucked feathers to line their nest.