Hello can anyone help with incubation questions

[goinginblind]

My name is Alicia & I'm new on here, I've got 2 hens laying fertilized eggs & i really want babies but they aren't brooder so id like to try to incubate the eggs. I've been doing my best to do alot of research on it but am still unclear about a few if not several things can anyone help please.

 

[Pyxis]

I do a lot of incubating, probably too much What do you need help with?

 

[goinginblind]

Everything lol I'm getting so confused where do I put the eggs from the time they are laid to the time I put them in the incubator I'm working on that's my main problem. I've got 7 hens but only 2 are laying so I'm only getting 2 eggs a day.

 

[Pyxis]

I just store mine fat end up in an egg carton that's propped up on one side and just change the side that's propped up a couple times a day. The best storage temp would technically be about 59 degrees Fahrenheit, but mine do fine at room temp since I'm not ever trying to store them for too long. You really want to start incubating them before they get older than ten days, because after ten days is when the fertility starts to decline.

 

[goinginblind]

Ok so I've just kept the eggs outside the past few days well since the 1st do you think those will keep if I bring them in or should I start fresh from today's eggs

 

[Pyxis]

They'll probably okay. They're meant to keep for a while since a hen has to lay her whole clutch before she can sit.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can get a lot of information in the Learning Center at the top of this page. You might want to check out some of those articles.

There are ideal conditions to store an egg, certain temperatures and humidity, stored on end with fat side up, and turned regularly. Most of us don’t have ideal conditions, we just do the best we can and that is usually good enough. Don’t obsess over this stuff but do try as best you reasonably can.

Eggs for hatching need to be stored at stable temperatures. Cycles of warming up and cooling off are not good. Do not store them where sunlight can hit them or where the air from a vent will hit them.

The ideal temperature is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t have any place that is close to 55 degrees. The best I can do is a spare bedroom where the temperature is usually in the very low 70’s. I usually do OK with my hatches.

I can’t remember the perfect humidity but it’s fairly high. Since I can’t control it I don’t worry about it.

The eggs should be stored fat side up. That’s the end that has the air cell in it. The egg should be turned a few times a day, three is enough but more is OK. I plug my turner in and store them in that.

The closer to the ideal conditions you can store the eggs the longer they will stay viable. Even as poorly as I store mine they are easily good for a week. If you can get close to the temperature and higher humidity two weeks is certainly not too long. Some people store their eggs even longer and get good hatch rates. There is no magical time or conditions where all the eggs suddenly go bad. As the eggs age things happen to them that makes them less likely to hatch but you’d be surprised at how tough those eggs can be.

I'd bring those eggs in and collect some more, then set them all. You have nothing to lose by setting them and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[goinginblind]

I have done nothing but research about this for 6 days now the storing at 55 really stumped me but thanks for your advice in gonna try to finish my bator tonight & hopefully be able to set the eggs in a day or 2 if I have more questions can i ask as i go.