My eggs are fertile. So far, I have been storing them in the refrigerator, unwashed. However, if I want to take them to work as gifts, I have to wash them because I found out they can't "sweat" or they'll absorb bacteria. I hate washing the bloom off! I do not have a basement or garage. Question: can I keep the fertile eggs, unwashed, in a kitchen cabinet, away from sunlight and be fairly certain they will not grow veins? I keep my house at about 72 degrees. How long will they stay good this way?
I have an egg basket stored on top of our counter. We store unwashed eggs in the basket for a week. We use those eggs as needed. Every Sunday, when we gather the eggs, we keep out a dozen or so. The eggs that were not used in the previous week (if I have any left,) those get washed and go to the frig. I have heard the eggs can be out for 10 days. I just find the Sunday routine easier for us to remember I should mention also that our eggs are fertile. We have never seen any veins. The incubation process doesn't start until the eggs reach the proper temp. (around 99.9) Hope this helps.
Why do you have to wash them? I just found some eggs I'd set down in the hay barn a good 2 weeks ago and promptly forgot . I cracked them and gave them to the dogs--no sign of development at all, and they were in the open un-insulated small hay barn with daytime temps getting over 100. I've always stored my unwashed, fertile eggs on the countertop, sometimes for weeks. We don't have ac, just a swamp cooler, and our kitchen is often in the 80s during the day. No issues.
Yeah, the temp and the humidity have to be right to get the incubation process going. Forgot to mention humidity. I was half asleep! Sorry.