broody hen

[woods420]

Broody hen sits on eggs for a few days then gets up and walks away. Is this normal?

 

[woods420]

Well it didn't take her long. She just got up for a bite to eat and some water. The last hen I had that went broody didn't move for 20 plus days.

 

[Magpie-ah]

i am sure that it isn't anything to be worried about. your hen was probably just having a quick stretch and quick break from sitting on her eggs. as long she doesn't leave the nest for more than an half an hour to an hour then the eggs should be fine. my hens would all ways get up each day for around ten minutes before returning to their duty's as soon to be mothers. best of luck...

 

[centrarchid]

They get off nest on average one time per day. In free-range setting my do so for about 1 hour between the hours of 1000 and 1400. When it if hot they come off longer and earlier in day. They usually also advertise being off the nest after sneaking some distance away first. They are then usually very sneaky about coming back to nest. Mine feed voraciously for that hour off. The feces produced is very large and usually left some distance from nest.