How long can a broody be off her nest?

[tallyho]

How long is it OK for her to stroll around the yard? I caught her off her nest and I don't know how long she was off of it. It wasn't like she just went to eat and poo. She was cruising around the yard. However when she saw me she did her broody fluff, tail fan and growled. So I picked her up and put her back on her nest. She's there right now. She's been going broody all summer (australorp). She was really into it too.

The eggs have been under her since Labor Day, the 6th. That means there's about 9 or 10 days left. I haven't caught her off her nest before; I know she must, but being so far from the eggs surprised me.

If any of these eggs hatch it'll be a miracle.

 

[bella1210]

they can be of there nest to eat and drink when my was hactching eggs she may have been off 10-20 min a day

 

[tallyho]

OK, maybe we're still in business. She's still there and in her trance.

It's just that's she's the 2nd one to be setting these eggs. The other had to come off because she injured herself.

BTW, she did roll an egg out of the nest. It was one of the ones I thought was viable but we opened it up and there was only a very tiny stunted embryo. Much smaller than for embryological age it should have been. She's probably much smarter at this than I am.

 

[bigdawg]

she will be fine, i had sikies setting back in january and she would get up for 10 to 20 mins at a time and she still had a good hatch. when the hatch started it was snowing. we had snow chicks

 

[ZaneyMama]

How hot was it in the nest area? On hot days, my broody will go dustbathe and peck around the yard for a good 1/2 hour during the hottest part of the day. Then, suddenly, as if a timer has gone off, she'll RUN back to the nest and settle down on the eggs.

I think they know when it's safe to leave the nest and how long they can be gone.

I have 5 days to go, so we'll see if I get any chicks, though!

 

[tallyho]

I'm in the northwest and it's been very cool, as evidenced by my green tomatoes. I guess I just caught her off her nest when she was having her me-time. It's now later in the afternoon and I peeked in on her and I was happy to hear her little growl. She's still at it.

Good luck to you ZaneyMama! 5 days....that's close!

 

[gryeyes]

I, too, panicked a little bit when I saw my first broody hen off her nest for close to an hour, one day around the 15 day mark. I thought, oh GREAT, it's her first time and she just got tired of the duty NOW. Darn.

But suddenly she was back on the nest when I went to look sadly at the eggs.

Then five seconds later I realized it was freakin' HOT in that coop! DUH.