3 day old eggs

[Silkie Pet Lady]

Three day old eggs are perfectly fine for hatching. I have successfully hatched eggs beyond two weeks old and have also been able to hatch fertile eggs from the refrigerator case at Trader Joe's. I'll give just about anything a try in the incubator.

Did you buy eggs from Trader Joe's and then hatch them?

 

[cavemanrich]

Not ALL trader Joe's stores carry fertile eggs. Here in northern Ill one BYC poster tried to hatch for science experiment and no go...... There are threads dedicated here ... Just search for them, I have read some of them in the past. If you do get fertile ones from some areas, the resulting chicks are likely to be RIR, Or a variation of them if you use brown eggs.

 

[TexasSam]

Three day old eggs are perfectly fine for hatching. I have successfully hatched eggs beyond two weeks old and have also been able to hatch fertile eggs from the refrigerator case at Trader Joe's. I'll give just about anything a try in the incubator.

You got fertile eggs for Trader Joe's really

 

[BYC910]

Three day old eggs are perfectly fine for hatching. I have successfully hatched eggs beyond two weeks old and have also been able to hatch fertile eggs from the refrigerator case at Trader Joe's. I'll give just about anything a try in the incubator.

Trader Joes now that's what I call needing a hatching fix real bad @TexasSam set all the eggs . I would keep the incubator ready as a backup plan B.

 

[TexasSam]

Trader Joes now that's what I call needing a hatching fix real bad @TexasSam set all the eggs . I would keep the incubator ready as a backup plan B.

I'm still building the incubator

 

[cavemanrich]

Here is a shortcut to one of many threads.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...re-egg-hatching-club-are-you-a-member.290845/

 

[BYC910]

I'm still building the incubator

Biuld faster . I have a friend who said his game hen laid 16 eggs in 16 days and starting setting on the sixteenth day and hatched them all . So put as many under the broody as she can cover . After all a fully self contained incubator is the best kind

 

[sevenfatcows]

Did you buy eggs from Trader Joe's and then hatch them?

Yes. I have done it a few times, just for the fun of it, with varying results. The first time, 8 out of 11 hatched, while the last time I did it, only two made it. It is true that not all Trader Joe's carry fertile eggs, but ours does and they are clearly labeled as such. I pay attention to the Julian date at the end of the carton to make sure the eggs were packed within the last 10 days or so, and try to avoid cartons that look real beat up. It is a hoot when they do make it, and they always sell off quickly just because people are so amused by it. I have a little Leghorn hen out back which was one of the two from the last attempt. It is also useful to know that an egg which has been in the refrigerator can hatch. Since the TJ experiments, I have hatched eggs pulled out of our own refrigerator with no problem. My name is Judy, and I am a hatchaholic....lol

 

[Silkie Pet Lady]

[My name is Judy, and I am a hatchaholic....lol[/QUOTE]

I think that's just fabulous Judy! I'm amazed at how hardy chicken eggs are. My silkie hen just went broody a week ago and is sitting on 10 eggs! She keeps stealing my other hen's egg each morning. A couple of the eggs were a few days old before she went broody, but I candled them 2 days ago and they're developing! This is my first experience with broody hens and hatching eggs. I'm just so excited! If I'm not careful, I too will become a hatchaholic!

 

[Silkie Pet Lady]

I have a question about after my chicks hatch. Although I live in Southern CA, it still gets cold at night here. I have 3 silkies, 2 hens and a rooster. If my one broody hen hatches all 10 eggs she's sitting on, what if she can't fit all the chicks under her to keep them warm? Will my other hen allow the chicks to snuggle under her even if she's not broody? Some of the eggs she's sitting on now are the other hen's eggs.