Advice please

[Jinxchick]

My silkies have started laying first couple of eggs were tiny now they are a lot bigger, in a couple of weeks I’m hoping to incubate some, I’m just wondering silkies only lay poss 3 eggs a week how long can I keep them so I have a decent batch to put in the incubator and where should I store them until I have a few, you have been a great help so far thank you all xx

 

[Mvan42]

If they have just started laying its best not to incubate just yet. Chicks have a hard time hatching from young pullets.. how old are they?

But yes the earlier you start them the better, the longer the less fertile the eggs become.

 

[Ascholten]

You should be able to store them for a little while.
Keep them Clean, Cool, not fridge but lower room temp.
turn them a few times a day
store sideways or pointy end downward.

You can't do this for weeks, it's not going to end well, try to start incubating them as soon as possible.

You can click the Search button in the upper right corner of this page here and type in something like storing fertile eggs, and it will bring up past posts where people have asked this very question, and you can get some very good answers there. Here is one such thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-store-fertile-eggs.1445134/#post-24006707

Aaron

 

[Jinxchick]

If they have just started laying its best not to incubate just yet. Chicks have a hard time hatching from young pullets.. how old are they?

But yes the earlier you start them the better, the longer the less fertile the eggs become.

The girl who is laying is about 7/8 months I thought she was a bit older, I am hoping to start possibly in a couple of months when she is laying bigger eggs and is a bit older but I know they only lay poss 3 times a week what age would you recommend them to be before eggs would be more viable to hatch x

 

[Mvan42]

The girl who is laying is about 7/8 months I thought she was a bit older, I am hoping to start possibly in a couple of months when she is laying bigger eggs and is a bit older but I know they only lay poss 3 times a week what age would you recommend them to be before eggs would be more viable to hatch x

Mainly, it's waiting until they are laying full size eggs. Most say at least over a year. With smaller eggs chicks are smaller than a full size egg chick. And can cause problems

 

[Jinxchick]

Thanks guys I appreciate your replies have a great day xx

 

[Ridgerunner]

how long can I keep them so I have a decent batch to put in the incubator and where should I store them until I have a few

First, read this. It gives you the "ideal" storage conditions. In ideal conditions they can easily go two weeks.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/...e-Cartwright-Incubating-and-hatching-eggs.pdf

Now lets bring it back to real life. The commercial operations can handle that but very few of us can come that close to those conditions. The closer to the ideal conditions you store them the longer you can store them without them losing hatchability. The ideal temperature for storage is around 55 Fahrenheit. They are supposed to be in a high humidity area. I can't come that close to either of those. The closest I can get is room temperature in the 70's and whatever humidity the AC or heat gives me. I store them for a week and get good hatches. If I go much longer than that then hatch rates drop.

I don't know what conditions you have but in your situation I'd try two weeks. Your hatch rate may not be great on the older eggs but you may get a pleasant surprise. I guarantee the hatch rate will be zero if you don't give them a chance.

what age would you recommend them to be before eggs would be more viable to hatch

I hatch pullet eggs. Sometimes I get pretty good hatch rates, sometimes I don't. To hatch, an egg has to have about everything pretty close to perfect. Putting and egg together in her internal egg making factory is pretty complicated, not all pullets get everything perfect their first few times. That's why you can possibly get all kinds of weird eggs when they start laying. Thin shells, no shells, very thick shells, double yolks, no yolks, all yolk and no whites. This is just the stuff you can see. There are some other things that have to be right for it to hatch. The surprise to me is how many pullets actually get it all correct right from the start.

A pullet's first eggs can be pretty small but they do get larger as she lays. The older she is when she starts laying the larger they usually are and the fewer problems they have with their first eggs. The commercial egg operations delay their pullets starting to lay a few weeks by manipulating the lights to avoid a lot of these problems. That way they get more eggs that they can sell.

I've found that if I wait at least a month after a pullet starts to lay before I try to hatch them most of these problems go away. My hatch rate is not as good as with eggs from mature hens but often it's not bad. Since the eggs are small the chicks that hatch are small. There isn't enough nutrients in that small egg for the chick to grow really big in the egg before hatch. But when they do hatch the chicks are usually really vigorous.

You can wait months if you wish, it will be "better". But to me the differences aren't worth it.

 

[Jinxchick]

First, read this. It gives you the "ideal" storage conditions. In ideal conditions they can easily go two weeks.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/...e-Cartwright-Incubating-and-hatching-eggs.pdf

Now lets bring it back to real life. The commercial operations can handle that but very few of us can come that close to those conditions. The closer to the ideal conditions you store them the longer you can store them without them losing hatchability. The ideal temperature for storage is around 55 Fahrenheit. They are supposed to be in a high humidity area. I can't come that close to either of those. The closest I can get is room temperature in the 70's and whatever humidity the AC or heat gives me. I store them for a week and get good hatches. If I go much longer than that then hatch rates drop.

I don't know what conditions you have but in your situation I'd try two weeks. Your hatch rate may not be great on the older eggs but you may get a pleasant surprise. I guarantee the hatch rate will be zero if you don't give them a chance.


I hatch pullet eggs. Sometimes I get pretty good hatch rates, sometimes I don't. To hatch, an egg has to have about everything pretty close to perfect. Putting and egg together in her internal egg making factory is pretty complicated, not all pullets get everything perfect their first few times. That's why you can possibly get all kinds of weird eggs when they start laying. Thin shells, no shells, very thick shells, double yolks, no yolks, all yolk and no whites. This is just the stuff you can see. There are some other things that have to be right for it to hatch. The surprise to me is how many pullets actually get it all correct right from the start.

A pullet's first eggs can be pretty small but they do get larger as she lays. The older she is when she starts laying the larger they usually are and the fewer problems they have with their first eggs. The commercial egg operations delay their pullets starting to lay a few weeks by manipulating the lights to avoid a lot of these problems. That way they get more eggs that they can sell.

I've found that if I wait at least a month after a pullet starts to lay before I try to hatch them most of these problems go away. My hatch rate is not as good as with eggs from mature hens but often it's not bad. Since the eggs are small the chicks that hatch are small. There isn't enough nutrients in that small egg for the chick to grow really big in the egg before hatch. But when they do hatch the chicks are usually really vigorous.

You can wait months if you wish, it will be "better". But to me the differences aren't worth it.

Thank you so much I will read it, her first eggs were tiny now I think their getting there lol she is a silkie so not expecting big eggs, I live in uk so not hot enough I will sort something out thanks again x

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Where are you getting that silkies only lay 3 times a week?

 

[Ascholten]

Where are you getting that silkies only lay 3 times a week?

Personal experience with their silkies.