First timer question. :)

[ChickenFan451]

We have had chickens for a year now (okay, maybe a little under a year haha) and are ready to hatch our own little chickens. We have made a homemade incubator and are ready to go and we have read how the process works. The only question I have left is how do y'all get them to start on the same day? Say I want to collect eggs from three or four days, is that possible? Is there a temp they can stay at for a few days while I continue to collect and then start them all at the same time? Thanks so much in advance for responding.

 

[gryeyes]

If you only need a week to collect enough for your hatch, you can put them in an open egg carton on a counter. Put something under one end of the egg carton to prop it up at an angle and, a few times a day, move the support to the other end of the carton so the eggs get "turned" while you gather the rest of them.

Then you can put all of them into the incubator on the same day. They won't start to develop until they are actually incubating.

Good luck!!

 

[Robo]

Quote:
I collect eggs for 5 days and then set them. Keep them under 75* so they won't develop. They don't do as well if refrigerated, and I keep my eggs in a basement that stays around 60*

 

[DillardHome]

I have read that you can collect eggs up to 14 days before they start to lose their hatchablility and leave them at room temperature. I have also heard to rotate them 1-2x a day during the collection period.

I personally collected eggs for about 7 days before I put them into the incubator (I never rotated them simply because I had not heard of doing that until after I put them in the bator) and had them at room temperature while doing so. So far all has hatched except one, which I put in the bator a day later than the rest. They are all actually still in the bator as we speak.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[Robo]

After 14 days hatchability drops off a cliff.

 

[ChickenFan451]

Well isn't that fantastic? Thank you all.