How many eggs should I let her lay before I realize she will not go broody

[Incubus4502]

I have been letting eggs accumulate in the nest box, the one my splash Maran uses. It was twelve as of yesterday, with a few non Maran eggs I put in there on days she did not lay an egg. At one point do I realize that she isn't going to sit on those eggs at all. thirteen? fifteen? Now???

She is having some different behavior last night she roosted outside the coop. I have a small flock, the three oldest I started out in the coop so they tend to go there at night, except the mother hen, occasionally. Other chickens I added don't bother to go in the coop at all, they hang out in the run on a roost. So the Maran stayed outside on the roost for the first time ever last night.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

 

[chicks n roses]

marans are a breed from a town in france named marans so even when refrerring to one its always marans .you may know this i was thankful to learn it.hope you get that hen to go broody i am in the same situation my experiance is the second year seems to promote sitting on eggs ....goodluck with your marans hen and godspeed.

 

[Incubus4502]

Oh okay. I read somewhere else about Marans, I didn't realize it was a town name. The plural should be Maranses then

I did just order an incubator, so this will be back up because I'm pretty sure the eggs are fertilized....

 

[carlf]

If she doesn't show signs of already being broody, then allowing eggs to accumulate in the nest will not trigger her to go broody.
A truly broody hen will sit in the nest box for days even without eggs in it.
You have to wait for a hen to go broody and then save eggs (unwashed, room temp) for 2-4 days and then place them all under her at once.
She will set until they hatch.
But you have to do it on her schedule!

I assume you have a rooster, right?