Frozen Eggs!

[Fugly1100]

ok so i was wanting to further populate my coop, i was up to 10 eggs in a nest box and was expecting a hen to go broody any day. well this morning i checked the coop and the heat lamp was shot and the coop temp gauge went down to 28F! if the eggs froze are they still viable? or should i just eat them? i guess there is a chance that a hen could have sat on them to keep them warm over night. i need help guys i don't want to eat viable eggs!

 

[aoxa]

As long as they are not broken, they are fine

 

[Fugly1100]

Thank goodness!

I really didn't want to start all over!

 

[Melissa Rose]

I freeze my goose eggs before I toss them so that I know they will not hatch at the dump and when they are frozen they take on a glassey look and will crack

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

I wouldn't hatch them.. You're giving whomever might go broody eggs that dont have the BEST chance at hatching(or any chance of hatching really). Personally I would leave eggs I didnt care about in the nesting box and keep 'hatching eggs' inside in a carton where you can control how they are kept. If someone does go broody swap the bad eggs for the good ones. Also you are assuming one will go broody. With the days shortening it might be hard to trick them. I usually can only trick mine in spring.

 

[mtcookie]

Quote:
This is exactly what I do. I buy a small package of store bough eggs label them then leave one or two a day in the nesting box. As they lay the good hatching eggs I bring them up to the house. Then if the hen goes broody I just swap out the eggs with the good hatching ones. This works great for my frequent broody LF Cochin mamas.
I don't think I would try and hatch previous frozen eggs.

 

[Fugly1100]

would 4 store bought eggs make a hen broody? if not whats a good number?

 

[Fugly1100]

and do i store them at room temp?

 

[MamaMarcy]

I have a similar issue. My muscovy hen has a clutch of 10 eggs and nighttime temps are freezing here. I see feathers in the nest but never see her sitting on them. I went to tke the eggs way today and Ducky would have nothing to do with that idea! I got chased away.