Should i worry if my hen is off her nest for a few hours?

[SkyBlueJar]

How long can a mom leave the nest without chilling the eggs to death? Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[teach1rusl]

I'm actually not sure. I would think it would depend on the temperature in the coop...and possibly the day/stage of development. I think the longest I remember a hen being off the nest was an hour or so. But if it's a warm day, I wouldn't stress over 2-3 hours...

Now, if it's longer than that, I would wonder if she's done with it...

 

[SkyBlueJar]

Every morning I open her pen and she goes out to bathe (she's a duck). Then if I shoo her back into the coop she'll resume sitting all day. But if I don't then she keeps playing in the yard for a few hours. It's very early in the brooding process, so hopefully the eggs haven't been harmed. The weather has been cool.

 

[teach1rusl]

Every morning I open her pen and she goes out to bathe (she's a duck). Then if I shoo her back into the coop she'll resume sitting all day. But if I don't then she keeps playing in the yard for a few hours. It's very early in the brooding process, so hopefully the eggs haven't been harmed. The weather has been cool.

Ohhhh...ducks! My neighbor has ducks (muscovies), and it seems like their ducks don't get serious about brooding until there's a decent collection of eggs built up - so maybe that'll be your girl too.

 

[SkyBlueJar]

Good point. She's got 16 and just recently started sitting on them. She'll sit on them all night, and then leave for a coffee break in the morning, letting those toasty warm eggs cool off for a few hours before sitting on them again for the next 20 consecutive hours... I hope she knows what she's doing? :lol