The "refrigerator egg" thread

[LTygress]

Almost none of the pictures from the chicks in the weathering pen came out clear. So I had to scrap all of those. Maybe another day though!

 

[Joliet]

Thanks for the info I think I am going to put a couple in now.

 

[LTygress]

Keep us updated on how they develop, and with pics when they hatch, of course!

 

[Joliet]

Will do.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Great thread LTygress. I think it is a great illustration of something I’ve been saying for a long time. Relax and don’t get too hung up on this stuff.

There is a reason for a whole lot of those recommendations. Most of those come from studies paid for by companies that hatch maybe 1,000,000 a week. These are the chicks that wind up in the grocery store. If you are hatching 1,000,000 a week, just a small change in percentage can be significant. If you hatch 1% more or fewer chicks, are you going to notice that? I wouldn’t. But if you hatch 1,000,000 a week, that 1% would be 10,000 chicks a week, over 500,000 chicks a year. That would be noticeable. Some of this stuff is going to have less than 1% difference, some more.

But just because you violate the recommendations a bit does not mean you will have total absolute failure. A lot of us violate the rules all the time and still get pretty good hatch rates, just like LTygress is doing. The further you are from the ideal and the longer you are there the more likely you are to have a reduction in hatch rate, but a reduction in hatch rate does not mean you are guaranteed total absolute failure. I don’t store mine in the refrigerator, I store them at room temperature. That can be as far from the “ideal” as the refrigerator yet I still get good hatch rates.

I think it is good to know how you “should” store them. The closer you can come the better your odds. But don’t get hung up on it. Just do the best you reasonably can and you will probably be fine.

For example, the question on storing them pointy side up. I have no doubt you can store them pointy side up for a while without causing any or many problems. Many decades ago on the farm if a hen went broody, I’d take a dozen eggs off the top of the egg bucket and set them. I have no doubt some of those had been stored a couple of days pointy side up. We still got a good hatch rate.

The longer they are stored that way, the more likely you are to have a problem but that does not guarantee you will have a problem. I personally want a good hatch rate. I don’t go out of my way to do things that I know can possibly cause a problem. I store mine pointy side down, not because I think I’m guaranteed total failure if I don’t, but because it’s a reasonable precaution and good practice.

 

[davemonkey]

Beautiful chicks!! Thanks for sharing them and for sharing the information.

+1 with the point Ridgerunner is making. The "rules" are there as a guide to get us to a starting point that is known to get the job done well. But there is much leeway (spelling?) and several ways to "skin-a-cat".

 

[gimmie birdies]

I gave away my white frizzle mix roo and went fridge diving for eggs 2 that are due around tuesday in my bator. We have air cell, veins and movement. I am excited. the mom is a charcoal bantam cochin. I am looking forward to meeting them.

this is her with the ducks she hatched.

 

[LTygress]

Oooh, white frizzle?!?

 

[beverly evans]

Here they are! Cute little fuzzy butts!

There were two leghorn/ameraucana mixes, three purebred ameraucana, and one ameraucana/plymouth rock mix! Also pictured are their brooder-mates, which include several bantam cochin (black), several bantam frizzle cochin (also black), and an older leghorn.

These photos were taken a couple of days after they hatched, while spending time outside in the grass. They have since been actually MOVED outdoors to their weathering pen (little dog pen situated in the carport with a heat lamp) to prepare them for the cooler outdoor weather as they grow their feathers in. I got pics from that today, but this one folder gave me almost 60 shots of the chicks. So I've got to down-size and crop the others before I can post them.

What a bevy of beauties! The dark ones all look like they are wearing mink coats. Sooooo precious! I can't wait til mine hatch - - - two more weeks. They will be crosses between Americauna, Dominique, Australorp, and Black Maran hens with Americauna and Copper Maran roosters. : )

 

[beverly evans]

What a bevy of beauties! The dark ones all look like they are wearing mink coats. Sooooo precious! I can't wait til mine hatch - - - two more weeks. They will be crosses between Americauna, Dominique, Australorp, and Black Maran hens with Americauna and Copper Maran roosters. : )

I forgot to ask. How long were the eggs in the frig at what temp. before you decided to incubate them? Just wonder if any of mine that were in the frig will germinate? THX