How long after being laid in cold weather are eggs incubatable?

[WriterofWords]

My Runner hen and overweight White Pekin are laying like crazy. I'd like to incubate some of their eggs but it's gotten so cold here at night, in the twenties, I don't know if they are good. They sit on them part of the time but not all of the time. Hershey has 13 eggs and Whitey has 18, they would never miss a couple but I don't want to waste the time and all if they aren't hatchable.

Kate

 

[silkiechicken]

It does depend on temps but anything below freezing for more than about an hour very quickly decreases viability. If you can collect eggs daily and put them in an area about 60 deg, then you can incubate with better luck.

 

[WriterofWords]

Whitey lays between 2:30 and 4 am,,, Hershey about 6 am, I'll have to stake them out lol!

 

[Berynn]

How do you get your hens to lay that early? Mine lay after noon, and sometimes as late as 5:00 PM.

 

[WriterofWords]

That's when they started, I didn't have any influence over them. I wish they would wait until about 7 or so though, so I could have a chance at snatching one or two!