How long can a broody hen get off her eggs?

[fishermans wife]

Adorable! Good moms protect their young! My experience is that mom will leave the nest with the little ones in a day or two to do a short expore - when she does that, I think it is safe to assume no more will hatch. Someone else with more experience will hopefully chime in!

 

[whenchickensdream]

What a great mom. They are just so cute!

 

[Starrla]

My dad and I want lil baby chickens. we have 6 hens and 2 roosters now. But my dad goes n gets the eggs twice a day. But he says the hen gets off the egg so it's not fertile. My question is, sis that true or should just we leave the eggs in there.

 

[bigT88]

thats not true. i dont think ur dads wants more chickens lol

 

[speckledhen]

Hens have no idea if their eggs are fertile or not. They sit because hormones tell them to do so, even if there is no rooster around to fertilize eggs.

 

[TW1Kell]

My dad and I want lil baby chickens. we have 6 hens and 2 roosters now. But my dad goes n gets the eggs twice a day. But he says the hen gets off the egg so it's not fertile. My question is, sis that true or should just we leave the eggs in there.

Tell him that the hens will stock up on eggs until they have enough to set. Ya'all need to leave them alone until one of your hens goes broody. Pick one nest and leave the eggs alone for a week or so. If one of the hens is going to go broody, she'll select that nest. I have done that with my broody hens...I have a hen on 17 eggs, right now, that I did that with. After she went broody, I moved her to her special cage, nest box and all, but she has been doing this for me for a few years, now. I can even pet her while she's brooding or has chicks under her. She's a game hen and mean as a snake, but has figured out that she and I are on the same side: I had to put 2 chicks back in with her once, and she hasn't lost the trust from that action.

A broody hen will care for her eggs, every day until she's ready to set. She knows more about this than ALL of US combined! Let them do their job, and you just feed, water, and protect her. It all works out real cool. Chickens are much more sensible/intelligent than many humans want to allow them credit for.

 

[speckledhen]

If a hen is going to go broody, she doesn't even need eggs on the nest to get her to do so, trust me. I NEVER leave eggs in a nest and I have more broodies than I need.

 

[rancher hicks]

I've got a Sussex that was sitting in the middle of the floor. I discovered that she had four eggs that she stole from the hen in the nest box when the hen got up to go. Left the other hen with one egg.

 

[mg15]

Off the eggs for an hour?Mine does not even stay outside for 10 minutes.Between 2-5 minutes to eat something and drink water and then back in.Maybe because she is only on day 19-20 or something while yours was day 25.I dont know what to say.

.
I take her off the eggs and put her in a cage with food and water.
When she is ready to leave the cage she makes wining sounds.
That takes about 10 minutes for her eat and drink. And she hardly eats or drinks anything.
I take her off the nest 3 to 4 times a day.
someone said not to mess with her at all at day 19 and on, because the eggs might shrink wrap.
I don't sleep well because to me whe is not eating and drinking enough.
She is an indoor Japanese Bantam who lives in the house and the eggs are fertile that I got from a friend.
I have water and food in her wash basin nest. But I don't think she eats or drinks in there.

1. Is this normal for them to not hardly eat or drink.?
2. Is it normal to stay on that nest as long as she does.
3. I check her to see if she is alive.
4. I wish I knew more so that I could rest.

Thanks.

 

[rancher hicks]

.
I take her off the eggs and put her in a cage with food and water.
When she is ready to leave the cage she makes wining sounds.
That takes about 10 minutes for her eat and drink. And she hardly eats or drinks anything.
I take her off the nest 3 to 4 times a day.
someone said not to mess with her at all at day 19 and on, because the eggs might shrink wrap.
I don't sleep well because to me whe is not eating and drinking enough.
She is an indoor Japanese Bantam who lives in the house and the eggs are fertile that I got from a friend.
I have water and food in her wash basin nest. But I don't think she eats or drinks in there.

1. Is this normal for them to not hardly eat or drink.?
2. Is it normal to stay on that nest as long as she does.
3. I check her to see if she is alive.
4. I wish I knew more so that I could rest.

Thanks.

It's not normal for you to mess with her at all. She knows how long to stay off the nest and she would not get off the nest 3 or 4 times a day. I don't know where you are getting your information. She will eat as much as she wants. She knows what she's doing.

As long as she has room to get off and go and eat and poop she should be fine. I have hens I rarely see off the nest. I've yet to read of anyone finding their brooding hen dead on the nest.

Sorry if this seems harsh, I don't mean for it to be.

Rancher