How long can the mom leave the egg for?!?!

[nlbeardmore]

I have one fertile egg that is now on day 18! today the mom got off the nest to stretch her leggs but didnt go back after about 20 mins!!! I think she got carried away but is back on the egg now! I felt the egg and it was quite cold so i put it in my coat until she got back, do you think baby will be ok still?

 

[LarryPQ]

The egg should be fine. At this point the baby is generating a (little teeny) bit of heat for itself, and should be ok for 30 minutes+, depending on your weather.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Its hard to say, but I have heard amazing tales of eggs hatching under crazy circumstances.
20 min isn't so bad... and she has probably done it before when you weren't looking.
Don't worry too much. And good luck!

 

[nlbeardmore]

Thankyou for answering

that makes me very happy to know! The mom has recently hatched 2 other eggs and she did a good job so im sure she will be able to cope with just 1 egg! Not long now

 

[Germangirlygirl]

Mine would get off once a day for 20-30 min. and they seem to be hatching okay so far.

 

[diggerthechickenman]

mine have gotten off for longer than 30 minutes and she only had 2, both of them hatched, and it was below 40 degres F.

 

[9farmgirl9]

the egg will be fine my guinea hen got off the nest when 2 chicks hatched butthe guinea eggs still hadnt hatched. Plus it was 20 degrees outside but i took the chicks and waited overnight to see if shed go back and of course she didnt

and that night it was freezing and the next day i put all 9 eggs in the bator and now i have 4 so far that have hatched. but 3 are pipng and the others were moving around, so i can insure you they will be fine.

 

[Germangirlygirl]

Quote:
My hen got off her clutch after three of her babies hatched. I guess the babies dropped to the floor from the nesting box and she left her eggs. I don't know for how long she was off the eggs, but I hadthree chicks on the ground and 9 eggs in the nesting box. I took the nine eggs out of the nesting box in hopes that they are still good and she sat on them. Later today - I will look if any more babies have hatched. It is hard to see because she sits on the eggs and chicks so contently - and I don't want to move her.
Here are some pics: