broody hen sits on eggs for hours and the gets off?

[maoreme]

my cochin hen sat on the eggs for 12 hours and she didn't lay any and the eggs she sat on are hot is it normal for a hen to get of the eggs

 

[mrsgibber]

Yes, they usually get off the eggs at least once a day for maybe 15 minutes or so to relieve themselves, dust bath, eat and drink. It's a good thing..you want to make sure they are doing that. They know how long it is ok to be off the egss so don't worry. You'll notice closer to the 21st day she won't get off the eggs at all...she knows they are ready to hatch and stays with them.

 

[maoreme]

thankyou she went back on the eggs but weird i can touch her and she wont do anything only make some noisess and thats it

 

[mrsgibber]

Two of my broodies were pretty calm. I could pick them up, check the eggs, etc. My other one is fast as a viper when it comes to giving you a peck for getting too close. I guess some are just calmer than others.

Good luck with your babies!!

 

[hcarlsonlewis]

I just had my first broody and she would let me do pretty much anything to her on the nest or off-and she is my alpha chicken. Even up until the last days prior to hatch she would still get off the eggs for sometimes 2 hours. Granted it's 95 degrees here so I think she knew that they weren't going to cool off. I had 3 hatch out of 4 so I consider that good for a newbie, and the fact that she did get off the eggs every day.

 

[ClareScifi]

My hen is brooding on unfertilized eggs, and she doesn't seem to be getting off the nest that I can see. I am going to buy some strawberries and see if I can coax her out with those? She's under the house, and I can't get to her or to remove the old eggs, and I'm worried she might be dead. I saw her beak pecking at food last night, but I haven't seen nor heard a sign of her today. This is at least her 3d day under the house. I wish she'd come out and get some exercise.

Before she went broody, she would sleep on top of her sister chicken, who isn't broody, at night in the coop. I guess that kept her broody breast nice and warm, and the sister chicken was good to put up with this behavior. Has anyone else had a chicken do this? I'm afraid it might be a sign that she is obsessively broody and could die under the house, being so single-minded and focused on the broodiness?

 

[maoreme]

thankyou, she,s sitting on 8 eggs and i have my pigeons sitting on two more eggs. where i live i asked people who raise chickens and they told me in this time of the year the hen can go off the eggs for twelve hours and the eggs will still be good.