[Casey76]

My little (not!) Rosie is taking her role as a broody hen to extremes!

I have made a little pen for her outside the coop (my spare coop is not ideal in that the "living area" is upstairs and there is an integral run below... except Rosie is so big she can't fit through the  internal door, so I have to lift her out through the roof for her exercise every day!)

Tonight I lifted her out and put her on the grass and she just sat down all huffed up and rosey gently - to be honest I don't think she realised she wasn't on her nest any more - she just sits there completey zoned out.

I encouraged her to stand up (which was greeted with much hissing and growling and feather puffing) but she just stood there.  Anyway I massaged her tail to stimulate her bowel and she passed some wind, but it wasn't until she took a couple of steps that she actually pooed (*bork*)

Firstly, is this normal, (I've never had a broody hen before, let alone let one sit)?

Secondly, how do I encourage her to eat and exercise a little?  She has chick crumbs in the nest area, but she hardly ate a thing today.  Mind you she is huge (a 10lb Cobb) so it's not as if she will waste away overnight!

[joyfull]

it is perfectly normal, they go into a trance like state whilst sitting and it can take a while for her to realise that she is no longer on the eggs.
If she cant fir through the door how will she be able to bring the babies out? She won't like you handling her chicks.
One of my broodies sat on eggs in a two story house (cheapo one off ebay you know the sort) and I had to lift the babies in and out as they couldn't manage the ramp for a couple of weeks - both mum and babies got quite stressed over this.

[Casey76]

She can fit through the "main" door into the outside world, jut not through the litting internal door into the integral run.

Like I said, I've built a pen on the outside of the  house which I can easily enlarge to encompass a longer ramp so it's not quite so steep for when (if) the babies arrive

[joyfull]

you may still have to help them up and down the ramp for a week or so, just be prepared for mum pecking you 

[Casey76]

For the ramp I was thinking about covering it with that anti slip draw liner stuff.  You know, it feels slightly tacky, but is washable.  I think it will be better than a "normal" ramp with ridges on it for tiny feet.

Of course, by the time the chicks arrive I might have built a purpose made broody coop, which is low to the ground, and is easily accessible by humand and chooks alike lol.