How cold can an egg get & still be viable to hatch?

[midget_farms]

I know if it freezes its done. But what about 40degrees or 50? With so many eggs in the mail this time of year I wonder how well they will fair.

 

[dsqard]

Linda (gryeyes) just hatched three chicks from eggs she bought at Trader Joe's. I think she might have a fourth chick at this point as well. So the eggs can still be viable after refrigeration.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

In the warm weather I refrigerate all of my hatching eggs until I have enough to set them and I get good hatches. My fridge is in the 35-40 degree range.

 

[valley ranch]

I have two in the works that were in the refer. They seem to be developing well when we candle.
As I rememb that would be 46 degrees.

 

[Doctim]

I'm so glad to hear this. I have 4 dozen in the garage I've been selecting this week and It has got down in 40's in there the last few days. I was thinking I should go ahead and scramble them!

Tim

 

[midget_farms]

Thanks - that makes me feel better. The post office left the eggs on the porch this morning & it was 10 degrees outside! They were very cold, but not frozen. I dont' think they were there too long - my wife got home around noon & found them.

 

[GreenGoddess]

A lot of people have successfully incubated eggs that were refrigerated.. My personal experience so far... Not impossible but close to it.. To fill my bator, I grabbed 13 eggs from the fridge.. I candled today and out of the seven I could see through, only three had even started to develop but died in either day 2 or 3... I still have 6 more in the bator but only because they are EE eggs that I cannot see through at all! Maybe i will get lucky but it don't look good....

I think the biggest reason is because my fridge will sometimes begin to freeze... Anything liquid will turn to slush..

Goddess

 

[loot4louie]

I did a hatch last year when it was VERY cold. The mail lady forgot the eggs in the truck and they sat in the lot for half a day. I had a good hatch rate!

 

[valley ranch]

I let the ones from the fridge sit at room temp for a good while. I've read condensation that forms on them in the heat of the bator if they are cold. Sounds right to me.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
I should have mentioned in my first post this is what I do as well. Let them come up to room temp first before sticking them in a warm, humid incubator.