Is my broody hen a bad mama?

[TK421]

This is a purely hypothetical question because my broody mama is sitting on wooden eggs. Our chicks will come in the Mail this weekend and I’m very excited! she Has been broody for about 17 days and I’ve noticed that while most of her forays off the nest are about 30 minutes, sometimes she gets distracted and will sit in her dusting area for an hour or more,or will free range for an hour or two before she resumes her duties. This is usually only once a day, but sometimes the breaks seem pretty long. We are in central Texas and it’s been fairly warm (80s) but if she had been sitting on real eggs, would they have survived?

 

[Chicken101-07]

One to 2 hours seem like a long time no matter the temperature,I usually let the one I have broody right now be out for around 15 minutes or less,I still feel it's a very long time for her to be out, a slight change of temperature and its over,is yours a first timer?broodies usually eat,drink and poop and go back but some first timers get distracted easily.

 

[The Moonshiner]

She knows what shes doing. Ive been amazed sometimes at all the things that we've been told would ruin a batch in an incubator that a broody routinely does.
When it was really warm here a couple years ago I had muscovies that I hardly seen on their nests but they all had near perfect hatches.

 

[TK421]

Yes, she is a first timer. At first, that’s what she did-way,drink,poop then back on the job. The last week though she gets distracted.

is yours a first timer?broodies usually eat,drink and poop and go back but some first timers get distracted easily.

 

[nszrmch]

I would just keep an eye on her. One of my broody hens who was the most diligent/stubborn broodies I've seen, pecked at all her chicks so I took them away, while a first timer accepted day old chicks with the grace. Varies from hen to hen.. Finger crossed for you and the little ones!!!

 

[chelseachook]

Last summer, temperatures regularly reached 40*C (104*F) and my broody hen didn't sit very much on the very hot days.

 

[TK421]

Thanks everyone!