fertile eggs?

[elite8]

My question is how long do eggs remain fertile once they have been laid. I let a hen sit on some eggs and today she just quit. What a shame...day 21. They got too cold. Now I know which hens had fertile eggs. She was sitting on a variety of eggs. I still have eggs from those hens that had fertile eggs. Will all of their eggs be fertile?I also have some that I had put in the refrigerator about a week ago. Will they remain fertile after being cold? How long can you keep an egg until you want to hatch it? Thanks for you time

 

[MuscovyMad]

The length of time an egg remains fertile varies depending on their storage conditions. I think it is somewhere around 12 degrees C for optimum storage with a bit of humidity in the room to prevent the eggs drying out. Also it is reccomended that the eggs are stored rounded end up and turned at least once a day for optimum hatching. I think i read that it is ok until 10 days. Then after that it starts to fall.

As for the eggs that have been in the refrigerator i wouldn't imagine that they would be good for hatching due to the cold.

If you own the hens and they are still laying you might be better off collecting a new batch and using them.

Good luck.