how long can a broody hen be off her eggs?

[DeeLove247]

Hi, curious to see if your chicks hatched. My chicken got off the eggs after 4 chicks hatched and would not go back in the nest. I took the eggs and placed them under a heat lamp to keep warm. I tried to candle it, but don't see much of anything. too dark, things are floating in there but can't tell if there is movement or not. She was on the nest last night but this morning she got off - eggs cold to the touch and I put her in and she got off again. Keep thinking she knows something I don't . . like they are gone - I am hopeful though. . . please keep me posted.
Dee

 

[Healthy hen]

Day 25 And another one today we have hatched 2 chicks. today my hen had pushed the other eggs out and is focusing on these two. I took the unhatched eggs and broke them to see what had happened. they didn't smell. Two had probably not developed from day 10 when they got cold. sadly three others had whole developed chicks inside so no idea why they died. anyway now all well with my hen and me

 

[Phoenixxx]

Mine left for 1.5 hours for a potty break, meal, forage and a quick spa break I was worried after the first half hour but thanks to this thread I just let her be and kept an eye out

 

[ellabellachick]

My broody has been sitting on adopted eggs for 9 days, but the past three days she has been off her nest in the early morning for upto 8 hours at a time, letting her eggs go cold, it's so frustrating! I was able to transfer her successfully to her own quarters with broody nest box at day 4 (after dark) so all seemed well... But now I am doubtful they'll be hatchers. Still I'm going to wait another day and have a go at candling tomorrow to check for signs of life. As an first timer at this (both me & the broody), my question is, do I lock her in her box in an attempt to force her to sit for longer? I'm not really keen to do this, but would like her to do her job and hatch them. The process to date has been an emotional rollercoaster. Who knew?!

 

[Gingersnap722]

One little baby so far, right on time. I can't tell you how excited I am!!!

 

[darkbrahmamama]

My broody has been sitting on adopted eggs for 9 days, but the past three days she has been off her nest in the early morning for upto 8 hours at a time, letting her eggs go cold, it's so frustrating! I was able to transfer her successfully to her own quarters with broody nest box at day 4 (after dark) so all seemed well... But now I am doubtful they'll be hatchers. Still I'm going to wait another day and have a go at candling tomorrow to check for signs of life. As an first timer at this (both me & the broody), my question is, do I lock her in her box in an attempt to force her to sit for longer? I'm not really keen to do this, but would like her to do her job and hatch them. The process to date has been an emotional rollercoaster. Who knew?!

Any news on your chicks? My broody hen did the same thing after a couple of days of sitting. I gave up on her & put the eggs in an incubator & am hoping they hatch.

 

[ellabellachick]

Hi, curious to see if your chicks hatched. My chicken got off the eggs after 4 chicks hatched and would not go back in the nest. I took the eggs and placed them under a heat lamp to keep warm. I tried to candle it, but don't see much of anything. too dark, things are floating in there but can't tell if there is movement or not. She was on the nest last night but this morning she got off - eggs cold to the touch and I put her in and she got off again. Keep thinking she knows something I don't . . like they are gone - I am hopeful though. . . please keep me posted.
Dee

Hi Dee, it was d-day yesterday and I'm pleased to report that one of my 6 eggs has hatched so far. This was after mother hen abandoning her nest and letting the eggs go cold at day 8 and 9 for upto 8 hours each day. On day 9 I transferred them to a neighbours incubator. I'll have to wait and see if there are any more chicks to follow but Im hopeful! Ella

 

[ellabellachick]

Any news on your chicks? My broody hen did the same thing after a couple of days of sitting. I gave up on her & put the eggs in an incubator & am hoping they hatch.

 

[ellabellachick]

Yesterday was d-day and I'm pleased to report that one of my six eggs has hatched so far. This was after mother hen abandoned her nest on day 8 and 9 letting the eggs go cold for upto 8 hours each day. In the afternoon of day 9 I transferred them to a neighbours incubator. Here's hoping that more hatch in the next 24-48 hrs

 

[darkbrahmamama]

I had a very similar thing happen with my broody. I put eggs under her on the 11th, she stayed on them until the 13th. She must have gotten up to eat & drink, & just plopped right afterwards. I thought she'd get back on, but on the morning of the 14th she was still off of them. So I got rid of 2 of the 3 eggs, thinking for sure that they were bad. They were started, & I was bummed.

I should have left them under her, but being a rookie I thought they were lost for sure. I kept one just to see what would happen, & put 4 fresh eggs under her. Then, the very next evening she did the same thing. She got up & just plopped. Again, she was still off of them Monday morning, so I put her back on the eggs & bought an incubator. The evening of the 16th I put all 5 eggs in the incubator (she was off of them again anyway ... this time sitting in her food dish!)

along with 2 fresh ones. The one egg that I had kept from the first trial must not have been fertile. Go figure, I got rid of the 2 that were started & kept the infertile one!

But I didn't really know about candling 3 day eggs. I'm pretty sure 2 from the second batch were saved & are growing. I think the other 2 died. I tossed 1 but kept the other, just to see in a few days since I'm a novice. Candling brown eggs isn't the easiest. I hate to toss them out, just in case I'm not looking at them correctly. I want to hatch out a batch in the spring now that I have an incubator, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible now. One thing I know for sure, Thelma isn't allowed to go broody. I've been trying to break her of it for about a week. All she wants to do is lay on the arena floor! If only she would have stayed on her eggs .....