How long can she be off?

[The Chicken Whisperer]

I have a little Black Copper Maran mama who's broody right now. She has been pretty dedicated - always staying on the box, being extremely protective, giving me the stink eye when I go near and clucking furiously. She's been in her own section of the coop where the other girls couldn't chase her off the nest, but last night the door blew open and this morning she got off her eggs and is now running around. It's cold and stormy outside, and she's been off for at least an hour. Are the eggs still okay? Please help!

 

[Jbently28]

What are the temps like? I had a broody mama a couple of months ago who decided to switch nesting boxes early one morning on day 16 when it was in the 40's. The eggs were ice cold when I found them. I candled and still saw movement so I put them back under her and removed the other eggs she was laying on. All of them hatched perfectly fine.

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

The temps are in the mid 50s, but its rainy and pretty windy. I really hope the chicks will be all right! I haven't candled yet but it's about the right time to.

 

[Jbently28]

I would candle them, but I'm almost certain that they are fine. What day are they on?

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

Day nine, I think. I'll do that as soon as I get home.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a little Black Copper Maran mama who's broody right now. She has been pretty dedicated - always staying on the box, being extremely protective, giving me the stink eye when I go near and clucking furiously. She's been in her own section of the coop where the other girls couldn't chase her off the nest, but last night the door blew open and this morning she got off her eggs and is now running around. It's cold and stormy outside, and she's been off for at least an hour. Are the eggs still okay? Please help!

Ideally you should let her out of her nest environment every day. Not just off the nest, but out of the coop.
Ideally there should be no food in the nest box, some always gets spilt and this will attract ants, mice and rats.
Having a broody hen leave the nest also means you can check for cleanliness.
Hens here for example that sit do not poop in the nest site. They know that when the chicks hatch, piles of poop are not a healthy environment.
Your hen is probably desperate for some exercise and a decent dust bath. She should get this every day.
If she is dedicated to being broody she will return to her nest. I've had hens spend 4 or 5 hours away from their nests and still hatch chicks.
One more thing. leave the eggs alone. It doesn't make any difference to the hen whether the eggs are fertile or not and repeated handling of the eggs can contaminate them, break them and is completely unnecessary.
Let your hen do what she's good at.

 

[chickens really]

Definitely fine..She should go back to setting again soon..

 

[The Chicken Whisperer]

Thank you all so much.