eggs sitting in nest still viable?

[old biddy]

I though I already posted this but I don't see it...so I am re-posting.

My peahen has laid three eggs and it has been four days since she has laid another egg. How long can the eggs stay in the nest without her sitting on them before they are no longer viable? The first egg is 8 days old.

I could collect them and give them to a broody hen but am hoping she will continue laying a larger clutch and hatch them herself. Still, I don't want to let the eggs get too old and miss any chance of hatching them.

Any advice?

 

[AltonaAcres]

10 days is pushing it, but 8 should be perfectly ok.

 

[KsKingBee]

After ten days the viability starts to go down. Many peahens will lay a clutch of ten or twelve eggs and of course that takes about twenty days. The old eggs and eggs that do not start or go bad she will push out of the nest. We pull and set eggs weekly this time of year hoping that the hens will take over. Up until now we pull eggs every day but now the season is winding down and it is time for the hens who want to set to fulfil their natural role. Be sure to roll the eggs every time you enter the pen.