going broody

[Ole rooster]

If a hen is going broody, or at least acts like it, is there any way to guess how many eggs she will lay in her nest before she starts? I have been getting about 4 to 5 eggs in weeks from her and the last week I've gotten nothing. She's still going to her new place to lay. Will she still be laying the same number when she getting ready or does that change? At this rate it could be 10 or more, I think. Is that fair to assume? I can't get to her nest to see. She's under my shed at the low end which is about 8 inches off the ground in a bunch of leaves. I don't want he under there because of a skunk and possums. We got um.

Any ideas?

 

[LilBizzy]

In my experience, the hen will gather up a few days worth of eggs - not just hers but the other girls also. They seem to know how many they can handle, but it depends also on how many she can get. Example- one of my bantums went broody a week after she started laying. Nome of the others were laying yet, so her determined little body sat on 1 egg. The next time she went broody, she stole everyone elses eggs, and was sitting(as best as she could) on 14.
We had an older hen go broody on us last month. I couldn't find her for 2 days- she was in the neighbors shrub sitting on almost a dozen eggs.

I honestly don't know if they slow down egg production before setting, or if they just stop completely when ready. I do know under the shed is probably not a safe spot- and once she starts to set, you probably will not be able to get her out from under there unless you are really thin or have flexible bones LOL.
Are you planning on letting her set?