Hatching Egg Myths - Tell me yours

[Evan W]

Let me start this off saying that this is my first time incubating eggs.

After lots of research the one thing I read the most was that you could only store eggs for a week. I only have 4 hens how am I going to fill the incubator?

I was able to find some good information out there about hatching eggs 3 weeks or older, sometimes stored in the fridge!

So this is a myth busting thread about storing eggs for hatching!

I collected 37 eggs over a three and half weeks. Stored them in plastic cartons to retain moisture and tilted them regularly once a day.

Today is day 7 and all i see is veins and embryos! Even my three week old eggs are growing strong.

So what's your tried and true myth busting fact?

 

[sourland]

As a kid I had a round, metal Sears incubator. I would fill it with eggs and fire it up. I consistently saved eggs for the 21 days that the incubator was running, hatched a batch, disinfected and reset the incubator. Never needed to hold eggs longer than 22 or 23 days, but like you had great development and hatch %. A lot depends upon the conditions under which the eggs are maintained prior to incubation. I confirm your findings.

 

[EggGrl]

Well, that is good to know! I'm counting hens, and realizing that I won't have a full incubator in 7 days.

 

[Evan W]

Lock down!!!!!

 

[chickens really]

Would this storage of eggs work with Duck eggs also?.......Interesting news.....I have 12 waiting to go into my incubator next week...The oldest egg is a week old.....


Cheers!

 

[Evan W]

Not sure about duck eggs. I think turning them before incubation is done for the same reason you turn during incubation. Also one thing I didn't mention before was that the eggs were kept at about 40-60 degrees in my basement. Here is some good info on hatching duck eggs

http://www.metzerfarms.com/IncubatingAndHatching.cfm?CustID=9204907

 

[chickens really]

Mine are kept in our back room that is really cool...Brrr......

Thanks for that link........


Cheers!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Would this storage of eggs work with Duck eggs also?.......Interesting news.....I have 12 waiting to go into my incubator next week...The oldest egg is a week old.....


Cheers!

I have had good hatches from duck eggs that I stored in paper egg cartons (I thought breathable material would help) and, like @Evan W , tilted - I did it at least twice a day, and stored them in a cool basement room. The oldest eggs were probably 3 weeks old, and some may have been approaching a month old...though I generally wouldn't recommend trying to hatch ones that old because I do think the quality may deteriorate. I typically don't store the eggs for more than 2 weeks before hatching, but sometimes you just don't have enough to fill the incubator.

 

[chickens really]

Quote: Awesome......Once my little Bouncer hatches....I have 13 Duck eggs to put in the incubator......


Thanks.....

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Awesome......Once my little Bouncer hatches....I have 13 Duck eggs to put in the incubator......


Thanks.....

Beware the hatching addiction! (I know of what I speak)