Will our broody ever eat or drink

[karenls50]

We have a broody hen. We put several non fertile eggs under to to keep her broody while we waited for our desired eggs to be laid. We removed the old and replaced today with ten warmed eggs. She took them without any trouble.
here’s my question. We’ve seen no evidence she’s been off the other eggs in three days. Her feed hadn’t been touched. The water hasn’t been touched. My husband gently took her off the nest yesterday and placed her next to the watered. She drank and drank. But she went right back into the nest without eating any food. Although she hasn’t eaten her normal chicken crumbles, this morning she gobbled about 10-20 cracked corn kernels that we offered her. What’s going on?
Shes in a new coop because she was being harassed by the other hens. Is it possible she doesn’t know the food snd water is right next to her nest? We’ve taken her to it several times.

 

[sourland]

I'd remove her from the nest daily to assure that she eats, drinks, and very importantly defecates. Even though she appears to not be using it, feed and water close to the nest is not a good idea.

 

[karenls50]

I'd remove her from the nest daily to assure that she eats, drinks, and very importantly defecates. Even though she appears to not be using it, feed and water close to the nest is not a good idea.

Why isn’t putting feed and water close a good idea?

 

[sourland]

Why isn’t putting feed and water close a good idea?

If a hen does not have to leave the nest, she will frequently defecate on the eggs contaminating them.

 

[arwoon]

We had a bloody hen who starved herself on infertile eggs. I had no idea what was going on until to late. I agree with @sourland

 

[chicken1234]

Maybe she thinks they should be hatching?

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Yeah I also agree with @sourland, I currently have a broody hen and she won't get off the nest to eat, drink or poop. 1-2 times a day I close up the door to the run/coop so the other chickens cant get in and interrupt her. Then I put her in the run (where the food and water is), and block off the opening to the coop so she doesn't go back to her eggs. Then I set a timer for 15-20 minutes and make sure she eats, drinks, and poops before I let her go back in. It's been working pretty well. She is still a little skinnier than usual but doesn't seem unhealthy or alarmingly thin.

 

[karenls50]

If a hen does not have to leave the nest, she will frequently defecate on the eggs contaminating them.

Ohhh. That makes a lot of sense. I just gently got her out of the nest. She ate a whole scrambled and drank quite a bit. Then she walked around pecking some pieces of crumble. The she let go if the biggest smelliest poop.
I will move her food and water far enough away from the nest that she has to walk several feet to eat and drink. She walked back to the nest in her own and gently got in and settled. Thank you for your advice. We’ve had chickens for years. But this year we put ten black copper marans under her because we have had such trouble with incubators hatching marans eggs. .

 

[karenls50]

We had a bloody hen who starved herself on infertile eggs. I had no idea what was going on until to late. I agree with @sourland

Thank you. I got her out tonight and she ate and drank and pooped. I’ll keep an eye on her.

 

[karenls50]

Maybe she thinks they should be hatching?

Thanks for responding. I only let her set on the other ones for three days. So I don’t think so.