Help! Eggs late in arriving. Wait or add them Monday?

[BayouPoules]

We picked up eggs at a hatchery Thursday that were already several days old and were supposed to take delivery of some Barney eggs yesterday and put them in Lock Down today. The incubator is ready ,.. but the seller of the Barney eggs had a death in the family and her grandfather went into ICU and mow my eggs wont be here until Monday or even Tuesday.
Is it best to put in the eggs I have that were laid a week ago and add the Barnies when they get here or hold off and put them all in at once. I've never staggered a hatch before and only have one bator. Not sure I want to try,.. How long are those first batch of eggs good for before they begin to lose fertility?








edited for spelling,.. note to self-always were glasses when posting!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Depends on which ones are more important to you. I do not recommend a staggered hatch - it's not fun, and I've lost lots of potential chicks that way. I WON'T be doing that again. I would guess that your Barnevelder eggs are worth a sight more than your hatchery eggs, so I would wait. And if you store your hatchery eggs correctly, a couple more days won't drop their viability THAT much.

eta...I've held onto eggs for up to 2 weeks before and still had decent hatch rates (from my own eggs, not shipped).

 

[BayouPoules]

Thanks Cloverleaf Farm,.that's what I thought but it makes me feel better to hear you say it. You're right,. the Barnies are more important so I will wait.
How should I store my hatchery eggs till then?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Pointy end down in an egg carton, in roughly 60 degrees if possible, and rotate the carton several times a day, so that one end is higher than the other, tilting the eggs back and forth like what an egg turner would do.

 

[BayouPoules]

Got it!
I am an egg turner!

Thank ya, thank ya,.. thank ya very much,...

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

LOL No problem!