when do i stop moving broody off eggs

[BabyBantam]

I have a pekin sitting on eggs - day 21/Hatch date is 30th Jun
I am taking her off the nest daily to eat and drink - what day do i stop doing this (as i think it causes issues with egg humidity in last days)?
Cheers.

[chrismahon]

The reason she is being lifted is to prevent damage to her legs BB, as well as for her to eat and drink. She can't go a day with no water I think, so egg humidity needs to be dealt with another way. Traditionally (I've read) brooding boxes were bottomless placed on soil, with a hollow scooped out and hay added for nesting material. This was to collect damp from the ground. You could spray her underside to keep her moist, rather than the eggs. Temperature isn't so critical now, but I wouldn't risk spraying the eggs. She loses water in two ways- by urine and by transfer through the skin (not sweating). If she is drinking properly she will be able to continue to transfer water to the eggs. I picked a broody up this morning sitting on some previously bone dry kitchen roll sheets -they were rather damp.

[BabyBantam]

Hi Chris
shes sitting on hemp sawdust type, in terracotta pot which I will remove once chicks born and any unhatched eggs dealt with. She wont get off the nest without my help (every time shes gone broody over last couple of years shes refused to budge, so history of sitting tight).
When she gets off the nest, she does drink a lot, but not noticed the nest being damp
I may hose the lawn down tonight as had no rain recently, so this should make her undercarriage damp.

[chrismahon]

Sounds like a good plan BB- hosing the lawn downhill do it good anyway. You are aiming to create 75% humidity on the eggs, but how you create that under a broody I don't know?

[BabyBantam]

Day 19. She went back on the nest after 10 mins today with damp feet but amazing how dry she stayed. Hope she knows what she's doing as I'm terrified