cooling eggs

[bandbaustin]

I got to thinking the other day about cooling eggs before incubation. The native range of peafowl is India/Asia Thailand area. When wild birds lay eggs they are not cooled. This area I believe gets rather warm throughout the day. With a hen laying eggs over the course of lets say two weeks for a clutch of 7 eggs, These eggs would be subject to some warm temps until she starts setting. Why do we say that eggs need to be kept cool until we put them in the incubator?? Just a thought as I am placing eggs in the basement to cool before incubation.

 

[silkielover249]

No, if they are fertile, that is not a good idea, fertile eggs should NEVER be kept cooled and should be kept warm instead. it could kill the chicks

 

[birdeo]

If the eggs are kept too warm while storing/ before incubating the embryos can start to develop but at a dangerously slow rate...say above 70 degrees.
How the birds control the temp. of the eggs in the wild where it is so warm is beyond me but mother nature has a way of taking care of those things. I guess covering them with leaves and what have you protect them from the blistering sun helping to keep them on the cool side.
I always store my eggs below 70 before hatching, this is a widely known practice to keep them viable.