Incubation Mechanics

Automated Egg Harvesting

The primary mechanic of Incubation is the interaction between Chickens, Nests, and Hoppers.

1. Pathfinding: When a chicken is ready to lay an egg, it scans the nearby area (16 blocks) for an available Nest. If one is found, the chicken will move to the nest and sit on it until the egg is produced.
2. Collection: Once the egg is laid, it appears inside the Nest block. Players can right-click the nest to retrieve eggs manually.
3. Hopper Integration: By placing a Hopper directly beneath a Nest, the eggs are instantly pulled into the hopper's inventory. This allows for the creation of clean, lag-free automatic egg farms without the need for water streams or complex minecart systems.

Village Integration

Incubation adds a new structure to vanilla villages: the Hen House. These small buildings generate naturally and contain several Nests and a few resident chickens, providing players with an early-game source of eggs and nests.