0
Broody hens do and will leave the eggs for a small amount of time. They will leave to eat, drink and defecate. They will usually do this when things in the coop are calm and quiet. If a hen remains off the nest for more than an hour or so then there may be a problem. The incubating eggs cannot be allowed to cool more than a few degrees and the hen instinctively knows this. If your hen has left the nest for more than two hours you should remove the eggs and artificially incubate as soon as possible. 100.5 F with a humidity of 60% will work fine.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoUsually, the hen can go back to the eggs, as long as the eggs don't get too cold. If she is in the early stages of being broody (as in just starting to sit), it is more normal then, because the hen doesn't really get off the eggs to eat or drink after that.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Is there a special name for a hen who wants to sit on her eggs all day?
A hen who wants nothing more out of life than to set on her (or other hens) eggs is called a "broody hen," and the behavior is called, being "broody".
What do you do if your hen is sitting on unfertilized eggs?
Remove the eggs. You can replace them with eggs you know are from another bird who was active with a rooster. Your broody hen won't care.
How long will a broody hen sit on eggs?
Broody hens do lay eggs. They actually lay one [1] egg every day or two.
How do you know if a hen is clucking?
A broody hen is easy to spot. The hen will remain on the nest when the other hens are going about their daily routine. The hen will often be aggressive when you reach in to remove her eggs. If you remove the hen from her clutch of eggs she will often run right back to the nest, protesting loudly. The broody hen will not roost with the other birds but remain on the nest over night.
Can a hen quit being broody after a couple of weeks sitting on eggs?
yes.
How many eggs does a hen lay when she is sitting?
An individual hen will go"broody" and will gather a clutch of eggs to brood. These will not always be her own eggs. She will steal them from other hens by rolling them into the nest she has chosen. Unless the hen is broody she will lay her egg and leave the nest announcing loudly to the rest of the flock what she has accomplished. Hens can go broody whether there is a rooster in the flock or not, so no, not just fertile eggs trigger the brooding instinct.
What are the minimum number of days for eggs under a broody hen to hatch?
28 days
Is a hen less apt to sit on an unfertilized egg?
No. A broody hen is a broody hen and will sit on golf balls once the urge to nest takes her. Hens do not instinctively know if the eggs they are brooding are fertile or not. Hens in a chicken coop without a rooster among the flock will still go broody.
What is brooding chickens?
A broody hen is the term used when a hen is ready to sit on and hatch eggs, or is already sitting on eggs or has chicks. Basically, a hen in a 'mothering mood'. You can tell she's broody by the deep clucks she makes, her fluffing up her feathers and possibly squawking when anyone (including the rooster) comes near, desire to sit on eggs, and of course, if she already has chicks.
Can you keep a broody hen broody after 21 days?
Absolutely! I had a broody that laid on one batch, that was unsuccessful. So, then we kept her for another 21 days with no gap in between. She is still alive and well, but afterwards, I suggest you keep an eye on her. My hen was very pale when she came off the nest for the first time. Also, my friend went on a holiday after leaving a broody behind with no eggs. When they came back, she was fine.
What are the symptoms of a broody chicken?
A broody chicken is when a hen decides to sit on her eggs... even if there is no rooster around, and even if the eggs belong to a bunch of random chickens on the flock... they will just sit on the eggs hoping to hatch them out, i guess.
If you have put 6 fertilized eggs under your broody hen and she sat on them fine for the first night first day second night then she got off the eggs to return in 8 hours will they still hatch?
I doubt it. Not if she left for 8 hours.
