We used GPS data on hens during incubation to examine how their behaviors during incubation recesses, or times when they left the nest to relax, influenced nest success. We found that hens took about 1.6 daily recesses from their nests, and spent about 2 hours on recesses. We also found that hens who took longer recesses had higher individual survival, but lower nest survival. The take home is that hens appear to have behavioral trade-offs during incubation that influences nest success.
