Aussie Finch Forum

I was wondering if anyone knows how long a hen can be off her eggs after incubation has started,before they would be no good any more ?

Norse wrote:I was wondering if anyone knows how long a hen can be off her eggs after incubation has started,before they would be no good any more ?

Depends on weather/how good nest construction is and how many eggs in clutch.....if fingers been checking..she may not go back

weather was 23c
5 eggs
nest is of good construction
no fingers went near nest

She may get off quicker then you think...could be sitting without you knowing....best to leave and see what happens

Looks like the hr or so she was off eggs was long enough to kill them, lets see how next time goes

No way. They can go for days without incubating & still be good. I recently had a pair of TCPFs fledge 2 young and re-nest straight away (in the tray of the seed hopper). The cock broke his neck from night fright and the new nest had been abandoned by the hen - she was still feeding the 2 fledglings. About 4-5 days since I last noticed her sitting I had a young pair of BFPFs in another aviary which had recently started incubating so I thought I'd check the abandoned TCPF nest. It had 5 eggs inc 4 fertile & 1 clear so I put the fertile ones under the BF & they just fledged 3 very well developed TCPF young & 3 of their own young yesterday all at the same stage of development. Great result all round but clear proof that eggs can go a good while & still be viable.

Always worth doing T. But I think the month since Norses last post probably means they are U/S
LML

I had a problem with a canary hen once. She was almost 24 hours without sitting. Not problem for the eggs though. I got 4 healthy chicks from them.