pete_inthehills
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Do broody hens eat?Hi
Our stupid hen has decided that she's broody again. We've given her one egg to look after, but I've noticed that she doesn't seem to have moved since Thursday.
Should she be eating and drinking? Or do those needs shut down while she's broody?
We have put some tasty leaves next to her, but she hasn't touched them.
Pete
inthehills
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Smooth Hound
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ive been worried about mine too, i have a broody thats been on eggs for 2 weeks, she doesnt seem to have eaten anything, and only a very small amount of water too 
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Sassinak
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Once a day I remove the hen from the eggs and place her in the run by the food and water. You might have to shake her up and down a bit to break the trance lol She should then eat, drink and do the most enormous stinkiest poo that you ever saw !! then scuttle back to her eggs
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Townie
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I have a broody sitting on eggs here too and I have been lifting her off the eggs once a day at tea time and placing her in the run beside her food.
I read somewhere that its best to leave them for the last 3 days and not move them, is that right Sass?
Mine are due to hatch in 3 days
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Sassinak
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yes leave her to it for the last few days and try and resist the temptaion to lift her and peep lol
Must admit that I never manage to resist 
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Townie
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This first batch of lemon cuckoo pekins are due in the next 3-4 days... sooo excited, mind you she could be sitting on 6 duds 
Then I have another 6 mixed Pekins (2 x black, 2 x partridge, 1 x buff and 1 x white) in with our black pekin grace... and the last 2 days her friend gloria (in the same coop) has gone broody too and has pinched 2 of the eggs from under grace, I don't have anywhere to put one of them to split them up so just leaving them both to it... should this cause any probs?
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Sassinak
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No I can't see any problems arising. They will probably just share the chicks.
The only time I've had problems with a similar arrangement was when 1 lot of eggs were bantams and the others large fowl. The banties hatched 2 days before the big ones (This is fairly normal, little uns don't take as long to cook) and both hens decided that live chicks were much nicer than boring eggs and went off with the chicks. I managed to rescue the eggs and hatch them in the incubator but it could have been very sad.
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Townie
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That's a relief
Oh ... one last question... all 3 of my broodies have pulled out their feathers... the bit underneath them that touches the eggs (if you know what I mean) just checking this is normal?
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Sassinak
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Yes it's to get as much hot skin as possible in contact with the eggs.
Feathers are an excellent insulator (Think about duvets!!) and so the heat wouldn't transfer through the feathers very efficiently to get to the eggs
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Townie
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Thankyou
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Julie
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She'll get off her nest at least once a day to eat, drink and take a dump Pete. You probably won't see her doing it but that doesn't mean she isn't. If you were just sat all day, you wouldn't need as much either.
If you stick some fertile eggs under her now, you'll have chicks in three weeks.
I lift ours every day because sometimes the other hens get in the nest box with her and lay. You get savaged for your pains but it has to be done. She'll just scoop the extra egg under her and add it to the clutch but it won't be ready at the same time as the others so we date the eggs she is supposed to have and take away the newbies. If disturbing her puts her off sitting then she won't be a good mother anyway - better to find out at the egg stage than have lots of dead chicks.
We also have a small grit hopper screwed to the interior wall of the hen house which can be filled with layers pellets so they're near at hand for her but she won't starve herself.
We also put her and her chicks in a small run with a converted tea chest nest box for a couple of weeks, so the crows can't pick off the chicks. It's nice and easy to move to fresh ground every few days too and placed in, or close by, the main run it doesn't affect the hens relationship with the rest of the flock.
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