How many hours a day do eggs need to be sat on to hatch?

[meghan713]

2 of my hens have stopped laying in the laying box and started laying up on an are of the coop's rafters(stupid.. how would chicks get down??) in order to hatch eggs... theyve currently got about 11 up there and theyre taking turns sitting on them for about a total of 6 hours of the day.. they don't sit on them at all at night? Are there any chances of chicks actually hatching with them not constantly sitting on the eggs? Do I need to just get the eggs down?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

They are not setting till you find them there at night.... They need about 23 hours a day. But yes the chicks will jump down. Hatchling wood ducks jump something like 50 feet out of trees an bounce.

 

[crazyhen]

Get the eggs down! Your hens are not truely broody if they will not stay. Gloria Jean