Help with incubating

[434lawson]

Ok so i have just ordered my incubator and it will be here anyday now. I have only 4 hens laying i don't want to just put 4 eggs in the incubator. What can i do so i can have enough eggs to put in thier.

Sorry i am new at this i need all the help that i can get.

 

[randomchick]

First question is, and I have to ask this, you do have a rooster right?

You don't have to use day old eggs. You can collect for the good part of a week, keep the eggs in a cool dry place(not the fridge it has to be warmer than that), and then set the eggs all at once. Make sure you turn the eggs every so often, and also you should have the incubator showing a stable temperature for at least a few hours before setting the eggs.

What kind of incubator is it?

 

[randomchick]

I should also mention that the eggs can be older than a week, but the fertility starts to decline I think around the tenth day. I have hatched eggs that were over 3 weeks though. If you want the best fertility then I would try to keep eggs to a maximum age of 10 days at the most.

 

[Intheswamp]

Pretty much what Randomchick said. Actually, I think a higher humidity level is recommended for storage of hatching eggs. But, I think most people simply leave them in a cool room sitting on a table and use whatever the humidity level is in the room. Here's a cut-n-paste from the Mississippi State University website...
Best wishes,
Ed

Poultry: Reproduction & Incubation
Hatching egg storage period

Eggs saved for hatching are very perishable and their viability is greatly affected by the quality of storage conditions. If properly stored, the number of hatching failures can be kept to a minimum. It is recommended that most eggs be stored no longer than 1 week. Storing eggs longer will produce a greater incidence of hatching failures.

The maximum storage period for chickens is about 3 weeks. Some turkey eggs will survive for 4 weeks, but quail will have difficulty developing from eggs stored longer than 2 weeks.

Hatching eggs should be collected soon after lay and maintained at 50-65o F. The eggs must not warm to above 65o F. unless they are being prepared for immediate incubation. Relative humidity in the storage facility should be maintained at 70 percent and daily egg turning or repositioning is recommended to prevent the yolk from sticking to the inside surface of the shell.

Refer to one of the incubation related publications listed previously for a more thorough discussion on hatching egg storage.

 

[randomchick]

Intheswamp is 100% right on the humidity. I was having a brain laps for a moment, you definitly need humidity for the eggs to survive. I never even thought about it but we store our eggs in the basement scince it has the highest humidity and the lowest temperature of the house.

 

[cubalaya]

Quote:
you buy a dozen hatching eggs from someone local or have them shipped.

 

[434lawson]

Thanks for the help everyone, and by yes I do have a rooster.

 

[joebryant]

Put the eggs that you're saving in an egg carton(s), and put the cartons in the vegetable bin at the bottom of your refrigerator. The temperature in your vegetable bin should be about 50* F or higher. Turn the cartons to different sides several times a day. Remove the eggs/cartons from the refrigerator the night before putting them in an incubator.
OR
If you have a cool room (50*-65*) and an egg turner for your incubator, then store your eggs in your plugged in egg turner on a table until you've collected all the eggs that you want; then put the turner and eggs in the readied incubator.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Let me offer you a link that talks about storing eggs for hatching and many other things about incubating. Since it is your first time, I think it might help you.

Texas A&M Incubation site
http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf

 

[daps2000]

Quote:
Kool idea ... never thought about putting it in the egg turner! I could do that in my spare room that is always cold ... around 60 ...