How long does it take for eggs to hatch?
When a hen lays an egg (usually one a day) she will not sit on it immediately. The hen will wait until she has a clutch of eggs (up to 12 eggs) before she starts to sit on the eggs. So once the hens decides she has enough eggs, she begins to sit. She will have chosen a warm dark place to lay her eggs – like a nesting box. Hens prefer to be off the ground and away from the rest of the flock – the same as any animal who is preparing to bring new life to the planet.
From the day the hen starts sitting on her clutch of eggs it will take approximately 3 weeks. She will spend most of her time sitting on the eggs, getting out the nest box occasionally to eat and drink – if she leave her eggs for the whole day she has likely abandoned the eggs. Hens will turn their eggs – and sometimes roll the egg out if she thinks it is a bad egg. If after 28 days no chicks have hatched – then it is not going to happen. At this stage you should remove the eggs. You could replace the old eggs with other, fertilised eggs and begin the wait again.
During the incubation period you can candle the eggs – look at then with a bright light behind the egg, and see if you can see the peep or embryo – you will see right away if there is a baby chicken being formed in the egg. You will also see if the egg is damaged or not. How long does a hen sit on her eggs is usually 3 weeks, but may take up to 4 weeks in some case.