I have two 5-6 Plymouth rock bantam pullets with a 6-7 month rooster. The pullets are supposed to be laying, but I have yet to get an egg (I have had them one night so it's understandable). The eggs should be fertile right? Since I only have two hens? How only have two hens, it might take a while to rack up enough eggs to put into an incubator. Do I put the eggs in the fridge before I put them in the incubator? Any hatching savvy people out there, help would be greatly appreciated
I put the eggs in an egg carton, with a block of wood under one end. Each day alternate which end is up, morning and evening. Try to keep them @ 40-50 degrees. I put mine in a cooler in the garage, or in the basement to maintain temps. The longer you wait, the less likely they are to hatch. I would try for a smaller, more successful hatch, than opt for more eggs. No more than a week is my advice. Wait a week or so & see if you're getting an egg a day from each hen, before you start collecting. Also, run your incubator for 1-2 days to stablilize temps/humidity. Good Luck! Keep us posted on your success...
I have kept eggs for up to 10 days. I have kept eggs for up to 10 days at 65 to 70 degrees before I have put them in the incubator and also on my counter in a room where the temp stays around 80 degrees. My hatches have had the same success rate except the eggs stored at the warmer temp hatched earlier. Usually I collect the eggs I want to hatch for 3 or 4 days then put them in the incubator. The longer they set out the less viable they can become so I don't set any eggs that I have collected beyond 10 days and usually it is within 5 days. I don't handle the eggs too much. I turn on my incubator the day before I set my eggs to let the incubator stabilize. Actually I never turn my incubator off as I do staggered hatches so it always has eggs in it. I usually candle at day 10 and again at day 18 when I take them out of the turner and set them for hatching. Good luck and have fun!!! umbsu
