FYI - refrigerated medium eggs

[hoping4better]

My chickens are still young (they hatched last November), so they are barely laying medium sized eggs. 23 days ago I had one go broody, so after some research I grabbed 12 eggs from the fridge let them sit out for a day and then put them under her. After some issues (neighbors kids, neighbor's roo coming for a 'visit' and scaring her off the nest . . .) we had 9 eggs left. So yesterday was hatch day, this morning 8 of the 9 have hatched and the last has pipped, though not well - we'll see if it makes it.

So, all said 8 of 9 medium eggs that had been refrigerated between 11 and 12 days, under my broody, hatched to healthy peepersy!

 

[Rbl4life]

they sat in the fridge for 11 days and still hatched??

 

[BHep]

I have also taken eggs out of the fridge and hatched them in my incubator. I would say maybe a week old in the fridge.

Congrats on your new chicks !

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Unless they were mail ordered ALL of my hatching eggs are kept in the fridge. Right about 38-40 degrees. The oldest eggs I've hatched were some turkey eggs that had been in the fridge for three weeks and I still got half of them to hatch. That was unusual circumstances though as I generally try to keep them to ten days or less.

Some years ago my step-dad decided he wanted to hatch some of my eggs. So I gave him a mixed dozen of our table sale eggs out of the fridge. They'd been washed and boxed but nothing special as they were intended to be eaten not hatched. He drove them three hours home then hatched them in the most disreputable looking Styrofoam incubator I'd ever seen. He got ten out of twelve to hatch! That was, in fact, what convinced me to get an incubator of my own though it took a few more years to actually do so.

Glad to hear your broody did right by you.

 

[hoping4better]

Update - 9 of 9 hatched. The last ones a day late, but not a dollar short. Little bugger made it after all. Go underdog!

So, as is confirmed by others refrigerated eggs are alright to put under a broody, even mediums can make it.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

but we do need pictures of these medium babies!

 

[hoping4better]

Quote:
Posted in the raising baby chicks section:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=512832