How often can the hen leave it's nest of eggs?

[willkatdawson]

I have my hen on 4 eggs. She has been sitting on them since the 7th. I have been taking her out 3 times a day to walk around and go to the bathroom. How often can she leave the eggs, and how long can she stay gone. I'm in Ga and our temp are all over the place. I feel bad with her sitting all the time. What is normal?

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I wouldn't MAKE her leave, she knows what she is doing. She'll get up and eat/drink/walk if she needs to.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Mine leaves once a day to eat/drink and poop and usually when she does another hen jumps up there and sits on them.

 

[willkatdawson]

Well the problem is she is in a fenced closet inside the coop. There is no way the other hens can get to her. We moved her in there because the other hens were ripping her out of the nest boxes and keeping her very nervous. I didn't have a safe place for her other than the coop so, she is in the closet. It's about 3x3 and has shavings on the floor. It appears she does not like to go to the bathroom in the closet . I have been going down 3x a day and taking her out to the bathroom. She goes as soon as her feet hit the ground outside. Sometimes she goes right back into the closet but, other times she runs around flapping her wings. While it looks like she is having a good time should I limit the amount of time she is away from the nest.

 

[RW19290]

I'd like to know too.

 

[jhm47]

Most hens naturally leave their nests for up to an hour a day. Some spend less time off their nests, but most are 1/2 to an hour. It is perfectly natural for the eggs to cool a bit, in fact, it probably helps them to take in a bit of fresh oxygen when they are cooler. I would remove the hen for a half hour to an hour once each day.

 

[willkatdawson]

Thanks jhm47. She'll love that. She screams and runs around trying to feed the other hens!

:

 

[scooter147]

I agree with jhm.
I have two hens sitting now and I have them in dog crates. I will go home tonight and let them out. I give them a 1/2 hour. The one is ready to go back to her eggs after about 15 minutes.
They do love to stretch and exercise those wings don't they??? Mine are just regular banyard bantams and while off the nest they fly across the run for all they got. Always sets the roosters off with the hawk alarm.

 

[racuda]

I wonder if the time of day is roughly the same for all? Mine left the nest once a day, about 9:30AM.