Fertile egg wait time

[Master S.M.C]

How long can I keep fertilized eggs before they need to be incubated for hatch?

 

[Judy]

Seven to 10 days, just as a mama hen does.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I believe is it recommended two weeks, but when I first got my quail, I was getting three eggs a day from four hens. My incubator holds 60 ish eggs. I collected close to a month to fill the bator, and I got an 80% hatch rate. I stored in a cool place, with large end up, but I did not rotate the eggs. I think that was pretty good., so, if they are just average eggs, I wouldn't worry, but if they are special eggs, I would get them in the bator asap.

 

[Master S.M.C]

Quote:
you say you didnt rotate the eggs, do you mean prior to the incubation period or during it?

 

[hinkjc]

If you are going to store eggs longer than a week, it is recommended to "rock" similar to during incubation. Hatchability tends to decrease after 2 weeks of proper storage, so the sooner you set your eggs the better.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
what is considered a cool temperature?

 

[Ridgerunner]

This site discusses storing eggs for incubation in great detail.

Texas A&M Incubation site
http://gallus.tamu.edu/Extension publications/b6092.pdf

 

[miss_thenorth]

Sorry, being summer I dont get on the puter much. I didn't rotate PRIOR to incubation. And I stored them in my dh's insulated shop, so My guess is the temp was between 65 and 70, but damper than it would be outside.