Broodie off nest

[djshick]

Hello, all! Last night we moved a broodie who has been sitting on a clutch of about a dozen eggs for seven days or so to the brooding pen. She left her nest for a while, not sure how long, but I did find her sitting again this morning. Does anyone here know how long a hen can leave her eggs without them going bad? Thanks!

 

[erinm]

sometimes a broody will leave the nest for a while to drink eat and drop a big nasty broody poo. Mine had left a nest for about an hour once and the eggs did hatch when they were supposed too. everything was just dandy. erinm

 

[djshick]

Thanks, erinm! Like I say I'm not sure how long this girl was off her nest. Could have been an hour; could have been most of the night. She was kind of in a tizzy 'cause we had the audacity to remove her from the cozy wee laying box and stick her in the brooding pen. Can you believe that? Anyway, we will see in a couple of weeks....

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

The recent hatch mine did she left the nest about an hour each day while the weather was warmest. She drank, ate, broody poop, rolled around in the dust for a bit, chased some of the other hens, and took off squawking back to the nest. At day 21 she had 8 of 8 hatch. The only problem was the other hens would use her nest while she was away. When it got dark I would remove the extra eggs which were easy to tell apart bantam vs standard.

 

[erinm]

Oh, that is why she got off. you moved her. Did you move her at night? i recenty had a broody in the nest box. tried to move her. she became frantic and got off. I then moved her into a dog /cat crate in the nest box and that is wher she currently is., and now nooe else can get in there with her and lay, break eggs etc.. You should move a broody at night if you haven'y tried it that way, it could work better or not. I have had good luck with that . good luck! no harm in trying to hatch them anyway right or put new under her> Unless she has completely gone off broody? Try confining her in a crate. She will like the dark privacy iff she is till broody hopefully. ErinM

 

[djshick]

We did move her at night, but I was messing around in the coop and disurbed her. I guess I should have left immediately. But she has been sitting ever since, so we should know in a week or so. I think they'll be okay. Thanks for the input. Daren

 

[Mahlzeit]

I'm sure they will be ok. Good Luck