Moved a broody hen and her eggs how long can she be off of them?

[~*Sprye*~]

Hi all,

My DB and I just moved our broody Black Australorp hen & several eggs she has been sitting on the past three - four days into a new space. She wasn't too happy but we penned her within a pen. She ate and drank water and will have no other choice but to sleep in the new space hopefully on the eggs. My question is how long can she be off of them before they are no longer viable? I was looking at hatcheries to just see when they ship eggs out and all and though maybe they would be ok if she got back on them as it is getting dark.

I am sure this is an answer somewhere on here but I did several searches to see but didn't see anything on this specifically about that kind of timing.

Any help would be great...

Thanks ahead of time!

Sue

 

[poultry guy]

How old are they? if they are only a few days old you could put them in the fridge until further notice, they will go dormant. I'm not sure exactly how long, but it cannot be very long, they need constant temperature and humidity adjustments, as well as being turned.

 

[~*Sprye*~]

Ok I didn't know you can put them in the fridge where they would go dormant. Interesting. She was only off for an hour tops. We ended up marking them and letting her go back into the coop...she was trying desperately to escape the pen we set up... She is back on them now in the coop and back to her broody state of being. There were other eggs we didn't mark but I will get them and add them back to her clutch. So hopefully being off of them for an hour will be ok...fingers crossed!!?