He broody!!

[chickengeorgeto]

We often jump to judgment with hens or roosters. Hens instinctively know how long that they can stay off the nest. In fact hens instinctively know more about sitting on eggs than I will ever learn. I think that is one reason hens who steal their nest away from prying human eyes, or meddling human hands seem to hatch a greater percent of their eggs than hens who "enjoy" our help. I don't know how accurate this is but some old-timers told me that hens act like your hen did to allow the eggs time to take up more oxygen. Until a better explanation presents itself that explanation works for me.

 

[chicksurreal]

We often jump to judgment with hens or roosters. Hens instinctively know how long that they can stay off the nest. In fact hens instinctively know more about sitting on eggs than I will ever learn. I think that is one reason hens who steal their nest away from prying human eyes, or meddling human hands seem to hatch a greater percent of their eggs than hens who "enjoy" our help. I don't know how accurate this is but some old-timers told me that hens act like your hen did to allow the eggs time to take up more oxygen. Until a better explanation presents itself that explanation works for me.

I have a broody for the first time right now and I have to just go on faith that she knows what she's doing. Lol!

I saw her come running out of the nesting place this morning and gobble up food and get a drink, then she let go of a massive poo and went back to the nest. I was on pins and needles for the 8.3 minutes she was off of it. ;-)

 

[ShellyBear]

That's what mine did though she took a big dust bath

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

So, she's back on the eggs now? I hope?
A 10-15 minute break each day isn't much in the grand scheme of things, your eggs will be fine and her getting up is normal. She has to eat, drink and poop and if she's getting up, she isn't pooping in her nest, which is a good thing! Some of my hens will stay off their eggs for an hour sometimes, and they still hatch

 

[justplainbatty]

We often jump to judgment with hens or roosters. Hens instinctively know how long that they can stay off the nest. In fact hens instinctively know more about sitting on eggs than I will ever learn. I think that is one reason hens who steal their nest away from prying human eyes, or meddling human hands seem to hatch a greater percent of their eggs than hens who "enjoy" our help. I don't know how accurate this is but some old-timers told me that hens act like your hen did to allow the eggs time to take up more oxygen. Until a better explanation presents itself that explanation works for me.

That seems like a totally reasonable and probable reason to me! I'll buy it.
And to the OP, I thought she "abandoned" the nest. A little time off once or twice a day is perfectly normal and necessary! I know, your first broody doing that is cause for panic, luckily she knows more than you did. She taught you something!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

That seems like a totally reasonable and probable reason to me! I'll buy it.
And to the OP, I thought she "abandoned" the nest. A little time off once or twice a day is perfectly normal and necessary! I know, your first broody doing that is cause for panic, luckily she knows more than you did. She taught you something!

I my years of experience with sitting hens, any brood hen of mine who comes off the nest everyday to either eat, drink, evacuate, bathe or all four, has a pending date with a pressure cooker. While I believe that a hen knows best how to hatch eggs via body heat alone, it is STANDARD OPPERATING PROCEADURE for a brood hen to sit tight for at least 48 hours at a stretch and more typically for 72 up to 98 hours without leaving her pending baby chicks unattended. The simple fact is that a brood hen who spends too much time off the nest is not a serious setting hen and she will almost surely let both you and her clutch of eggs down at the most inconvenient moment.

As ambient temperatures increase, hens do tend to stay off the nest for longer periods. Don't ask me how I know this or how long to expect a hen to perambulate about, I can't read a chickens' mind, I can only observe their actions and compare the chickens' day to day actions to current conditions.

Don't worry about whether your setting hens bottoms are getting sore, they are good at doing what they do as long as we humans provide the resources a hen needs to do her job. These resources include a safe, dry, and private maternity coop, a sheltered and dark nest that apes a natural chicken nest, plus food and water. If you are unsure if your brood hen is eating or drinking, your nose will tell you.

As justplainbatty mentions, when a brood hen evacuates her bowls she will expel a chicken poop of gigantic proportions. Don't let your children see this setting hen poop because your kids will think that you bought them a pony.

You also will not need to search for this setting hen poop, just let your nose inform you that your hen has come off the nest, the smell will tell you that she did and if you're like me, this smell will stay with you for life.

 

[ShellyBear]

That explains the ginormous poop around the yard, and you were wright my noes led my wright to the place. I cant wait to see what the babies look like cochin bantam with regular egg laying hens it might look cute or just weird but I don't mind I love any chickens. Along time ago when I was younger I had my first bantam named sparkle and she wanted to be a mom so bad that I thought why not give it a try. We gave her a big planter that she would jump in and sit on the eggs, at that time I didn't know that her jumping in the planter might end badly and sure enough one day 3 out of 5 broke and they were the only ones that were fertile and she never tried do sit on an egg again that how we new it was ok to crack the others cause she abandoned them for 3 days that when we new and a few month latter she past away. But that's how life goes we make mistakes that lead greatly and some not so much but I'm just happy she is in peace.

I thank you all for teaching me all about the broodies.

 

[michael1003]

Thats a leghorn they suck at brooding i have 13 of them

 

[ShellyBear]

So she is a leghorn. Well she's doing ok for now at least.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen in question looks like a White Plymouth Rock. Those I have experience with are not reliable as broodies for reason you observed and heavy weight which can crush eggs and newly hatched chicks. Your flock is not represented by any breeds that will perform well as parents. If to try again, then minimize disturbances on the brooding hen although if practical, then candle eggs around day 8.

My broody hens do get off nest daily to eat, drink, and defecate until eggs reach the piping stage starting in day 20. Longer excursions associated with high ambient temperatures and possibly hen loosing more weight than optimal during the incubation process. During very warm periods hens will sometimes come of nest twice daily apparently for water. This latter point will be watched during the latter part of summer.

I have taken days off to watch brooding behavior and setup time-lapse cameras as well. Hens so monitored also exceptionally tame.