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Sitting on eggs

Flossie

Meeting neighbors
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/18/14
Messages
32
Location
New Zealand
Real Name
Pat
My little bantam is sitting on 6 eggs, I have her in a dog crate so she can be on her own and be locked in at night, the door is open during the day. She has only been sitting on the eggs for a couple of days but she isn't getting off to go to the toilet. I lifted her off today to clear away some of the smelly mess under her and her fluffy back end is rather covered in the mess. Does anyone know how I could clean her. Do hens usually get off their nests for short periods to do their business and then get back on or can they just sit there for the entire 21 days?
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,803
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
Sorry, I really don't know anything about chickens but am bumping this for you. :)
 

Flossie

Meeting neighbors
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/18/14
Messages
32
Location
New Zealand
Real Name
Pat
Just to add. I picked Henrietta up off the eggs and put them on a piece of cloth (for ease of pick up) I let her wander about (not that she liked it) cleaned out the cage, put new straw in it then placed the eggs back by picking them all up as one (using the cloth) into the cage. I then picked her up (she had evacuated a huge smelly amount and was scratching around) I trimmed off her back end of some of the smelly stuff then put her back on the eggs and she settled down on those eggs instantly.

Only thing I need to know now is could she be lifted off the nest for a couple of minutes each day to do her business, stretch her legs and not ruin the incubation process of the eggs. In a natural environment does a hen get off those eggs to stretch her legs etc and then get back on the eggs. Does cooling the eggs down hamper with the incubation process?
 
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