[Newbie]

Was slightly worrieda bout the length of time that my broody left her eggs and wasn't sure how long it too long?  Didn't seem to matter that she was being picked on by one of the other hens.  In the end I put her back in and she went straight back and sat on her eggs.  She is in a rabbit hutch so has plenty of inside space as well as the nest box but I know she needs to go out for a stretch and dust bath etc so I can't just keep her in can I?

[joyfull]

they can be off for a couple of hours (one of mine got shut out of the coop by accident for about 4-5 hours and still hatched her eggs  ). the others pick on them to tell them to get back to the eggs and do her job of hatching the next generation.

[Newbie]

perhaps I was a bit hard on her then  I thought half an hour was too long.  Think I may seperate a bit of a run off for her so she can have a peaceful dust bath though as one of the others must have thought she was neglecting her dutes and was very nasty, sought her out and plucked a couple of feathers.