I decided to incubate as my broody had been going two weeks+ already and she was still broody after the babies hatched. She would have never fit all those eggs tho...
My broodies are too! I had 4 broody a few weeks ago, and at the start of the year I had 6.
Nononono... That's not how it works. Refrigeration reduces the viability of male embryos, reducing the number that survive to hatch.
There are two different proposed mechanisms: one that kills the males, and the other that causes genetically-male chicks to develop as females and even lay eggs.
I haven't been able to find the actual study myself, but I've found a few news articles about it from a few years ago. Here's one example of such an article:
I don't think so....
I know, I wasn't able to find the study again, only a news article about it.
Will an eskey work? My fridge doesn't go above 5I have kept hatching eggs that I am collecting for incubation in an extra refrigerator used for drinks at the warmest setting it could be set. Ideally temperature should be between 45 and 60° Fahrenheit. Approximately 7 to 15°C. I’ve also used a small cooler with ice packs. Keep a thermometer wherever you decide to store them to make sure the temperature stays in the correct range. Anything lower than 45°(7) may kill the embryos. Higher temperatures and you risk that the eggs start to develop before you put them in the incubator.
I have also successfully hatched eggs that have been in the regular refrigerator at colder temperatures for several weeks, though the chance of these eggs hatching is lower. Where ever you decide to store your hatching eggs, they should be set out at room temperature for approximately 6 to 12 hours before setting them in the incubator. Good luck.
