Fertile Egg Care?

[kherokee]

My Sumatra hen just went broody over infertile eggs and I think it may be a good time to start sneaking in fertile eggs.

Ive never bought fertile eggs and was concerned on how you keep them 'alive'. If I were to order them, or buy some fertile eggs, would I have to immediately throw them under my hen, or is there a way of keeping them on hold. Also is shipping safe for the embryos and can they survive that long without body heat and humidity?

 

[Pyxis]

Shipping is hard on eggs, and if you have eggs shipped to you, you let them rest in an egg carton with the fat end up for 24 hours before putting them in your incubator or under a broody. This gives them time to recover from the shipping ordeal. They should always be shipped priority or express, since there is a time limit on how long they are hatchable. Generally eggs stay fertile for at least ten days after they are laid. After that, fertility starts to decrease, and so the chances of them hatching decreases. If you bought local fertile eggs, you could just immediately put them under your broody. Make sure you put all the eggs you want to hatch under her on the same day, so that they all hatch at the same time.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If I were in your shoes, I'd go for the local eggs. All of the eggs I've had shipped to me have had detached air cells and needed to stay upright in cartons the whole incubation. I don't think they'd do all that well on their sides under a broody.