Broody hen question that I can't seem to find a definite answer to about adding more eggs over a few days?

Our take

Ah, the delightful world of broody hens—where patience and a sprinkle of chaos collide! It sounds like you’ve got a feathered friend ready to embark on her hatching journey, and your instincts are spot on. Generally, you can let a broody hen accumulate eggs over a span of about three to five days before the official "lockdown" begins. This allows her to gather a nice clutch, ideally around 12 eggs, before she settles in for the full 21-day incubation. Just remember, once you’ve collected the eggs, it’s best to place them all at once to avoid any confusion. It’s a bit like preparing for a clucky party! So, get ready to embrace your inner chicken grandma and enjoy the hatching adventure ahead!

How many days can you/should you let a broody hen accumulate eggs to hatch? We have one that just started showing signs (after having just been inconveniently broody a few months ago when it was too cold lol) and I want to give her a chance this time! I took yesterday's eggs because I wasn't positive if she would stay in the nesting box, but she's in there again today and pancaking/being protective. We have 4 hens so I'm thinking about giving her whatever eggs are laid through the next 3 days for around 12 total, and then potentially taking her out with those to put in in a protected part of their habitat.

Soooo... Does that sound right? I would assume if you had one broody hen, duck, turkey, whatever, on their own that days of laying go by before the true "lockdown" incubation begins. I can't seem to find the right way to Google this to find out how the 21ish day window is affected in this scenario and I just wanna successfully be a chicken grandma!

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#chicken eggs#chickens#fear of chickens#chicken breeds#chicken behavior#chicken myths#chicken anatomy#broody hen#incubation#hatch#accumulate eggs#nesting box#locking down#egg-laying#hens#protective behavior#total eggs#signs of broody#broodiness#harmony in habitat