Broody questions

[BabyBantam]

Hi all,
Not been on for a while, but proud to announce that my baby pekin Tak, is going to be a mum (I HOPE) in 15 days
Got a few questions about my broodie that I'm hoping someone can help with. She's in a flowerpot in a broody coop with 8 eggs, she is taken off the nest at the same time each evening to eat, drink and poo and spends approx 15 mins off the nest before returning of her own free will. She is then locked in (as she is on the ground and don't want vermin to be able to get into the box and also to make it dark and cosy for her)
My questions are -
I'm feeding her, her usual Garvo mix along with some extra corn, sweet corn and sunflower hearts. She's eating approx 10 to 15g of food each day only. Is this ok?
Her broody poo is green not brown and a bit watery but not diorehha. It has got greener over last few days. She's eating grass from within the run she's in and drinking quite a bit due to the heat I think, and so not sure whether this is an issue, or just normal?
I gave her a squirt of ivermectin before she settled on the eggs, but seems to be scratching her face a lot when she's coming off the nest to eat etc. She is also trying to dust bathe in the grass. should I give her a sand/soil type dust bath to play in, or would this mean she would be off the nest for too long and the eggs would cool too much.
Very happy about being a mum, but for a first timer, never thought being broodie would be so stressful. It's killing me worrying about her and all the things I'm possibly going to get wrong

[chickenfan]

Hi Baby Bantam. I am not as experienced as many people on the forum, but she definitely needs to dustbath every day. She won't leave the eggs for too long and it doesn't matter if they cool slightly (it improves hatching). Is she free to come off the eggs during the daytime? A tiny Pekin is likely to need more than one meal a day. I think she needs wheat, which is slow to digest and which firms up droppings, as well as helping her to lose less weight.

[chickenfan]

I think the green poo might be because she isn't eating enough.

[chrismahon]

The very posh incubators include a cooling period every day to mimic the broody getting off the nest. It is claimed to improve hatch rates.

I wouldn't worry about the poos BB. Her system will be rather disturbed and usually they do one massive stinky green poo in the morning and that's it. She will lose weight during brooding as it is impossible to be off the nest long enough to eat the 100g plus water that would normally be the minimum requirement.

Ours come off their imaginary nest and soil bathe immediately. It must be instinctive behaviour to control pests prior to the chicks hatching-she won't necessarily have lice or mites because ours haven't, we checked.

[BabyBantam]

fab - thanks guys.
I did dose her with ivermectin before she went in the box and spray the broody box (no red mite history in flock either - fingers crossed).
I may give her a dustebath for 10 mins just to keep her happy, but not sure if 20 mins twice a day to eat is good, as all the books and advice state once a day only.....

[BabyBantam]

Got another question if anyone can help?
All seems to be going well, chicks now 2 weeks old. Mum now seems to be dropping feathers quicker than a burst pillow and a bit worried she's moulting at just the wrong point. I know she's moulting and not feather pecking as a major flight feather dropped today.
Is this normal or something going majorly wrong?

[chrismahon]

Ours are moulting at the moment, due to the excessive heat. That may be the trigger for her, having been so hot during brooding?

[BabyBantam]

Phew, all the chicks seem happy at the mo, so just still be warm enough for them. Grown massively over last two weeks, amazing to watch

[chickenfan]

I had two broodys that did a light moult too when their young were born. They have just left their offspring and look magnificent with shiny feathers and plenty of weight on them. So I think raising chicks really suits some birds.