broody hen - advice

[shongololo]

So Mrs Chav the longhorn hasnt read the bit about being broody for 21 days. We are on day 28 and this is the second time this year - so its time for her to start earning her keep and so Ive rigged up a brood cage (as seen on mumsnet).

Questions.....

Ive a cage c. 15"x15"x15" cube. Big enough??
does she stay outside in it overnight?
how long does she stay in there?

she's as skinny as a rake and while she did come out for a while (forced into the garden) she went straight back into her roost again after about half an hour outside.

SHe is now protesting loudily at her incarceration.

I used a bigger run than that to "cold turkey" my broody hen, but it is only for a short time so I would have thought it would be all right. Yes she has to stay overnight, no roost, no nest box, you need to have enough room for food and water though. I had to put my girl in for four days, then she was fine. I put her in a run, inside the main run so the others could always see her. Worked like a charm for her, she has been fine ever since, think it was something to do with the warm weather and the fact that I used some clay eggs to stop one of the others egg eating....bless her she tried to hatch them!

Good luck