How long can eggs be kept before incubating?

[Cloverr39]

I have a situation where I need about 10-14 eggs for the beginning of March. I have 8 hens, but I only want eggs from 2-4 specific hens (I can tell their eggs apart). There is one however that I want the majority of eggs from. Problem is she has only layed 3 eggs so far. One on the 14th, one on the 17th and one on the 20th. She hasn't layed in 6 days.
The reason I'm waiting on incubating them is cause I'm waiting for a shipment of 10 eggs that should get shipped out in the next 2 days and should arrive 1-2 days after shipping. Will the eggs layed on the 14th-26th still be good by the 1st-2nd March? Is there any chance they'll still hatch? Do I need to turn them every couple hours until the day I set them?

 

[Ridgeback825]

I have a situation where I need about 10-14 eggs for the beginning of March. I have 8 hens, but I only want eggs from 2-4 specific hens (I can tell their eggs apart). There is one however that I want the majority of eggs from. Problem is she has only layed 3 eggs so far. One on the 14th, one on the 17th and one on the 20th. She hasn't layed in 6 days.
The reason I'm waiting on incubating them is cause I'm waiting for a shipment of 10 eggs that should get shipped out in the next 2 days and should arrive 1-2 days after shipping. Will the eggs layed on the 14th-26th still be good by the 1st-2nd March? Is there any chance they'll still hatch? Do I need to turn them every couple hours until the day I set them?

10 days is about the max rule of thumb. No need to turn them, just store them pointy end down. Best of luck and be sure to post pics!

 

[SueT]

Yes, there’s a good chance. People have stored them for 2 or 3 weeks or more, with successful hatchngs, but they say the hatch rate decreases. Since this is your situation, however, I’d say go for it. I turn mine once a day.
Good luck!!!!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I have ducks not chicken but last summer I tried this out
I had eggs from day 1-21
I gave the newer ones to the school to do and I did the older ones
My babies hatched just fine amd I got 100% hatch rate that batch
No issues and I didn’t store mine pointy end down I just laid them on the shelf and left them
I hadn’t planned on incubating at the time
This included my bator spiking to 110 for 5-6 hours
It’s not recommended as they say fertility goes down. You can try and if they don’t start or quit early at least you tried

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will the eggs layed on the 14th-26th still be good by the 1st-2nd March? Is there any chance they'll still hatch?

The closer to ideal conditions you can store the eggs the longer they remain viable. Ideal conditions are around 55 degrees F (13 C) and high humidity (around 80%). Try to avoid heating and cooling cycles. Avoid a wind blowing on them, like a heating or AC vent. Very few of us has anything close to that but just do the best you can. I don't have conditions close to those and still do well if I keep them a week.

If you are familiar with baseball you will never get a hit if you don't swing the bat. In basketball you do not score any points if you don't shoot the ball. Will those eggs hatch? If you put them in the incubator they might or might not. Eggs can hatch even if they have not been stored in ideal conditions even if stored for a long time. If you don't incubate them they will never hatch.

Do I need to turn them every couple hours until the day I set them?

Turning the eggs increases the chances of them hatching, especially if you are storing them for a long time. Even if you don't turn them they can still hatch but your odds drop some. You don't need to turn them every 2 hours, three times a day should be enough. If you want to five times a day is enough.

I would turn them every day and if you have room in the incubator I'd set them, no matter how they were stored.

 

[007Sean]

Obviously, the 'fresher' the eggs the better but 7 to 14 days is normally the accepted storing time.
Good luck with you're incubation.

 

[SueT]

Another factor that would contribute to the hatch rate success would be that they are your own eggs. They may do better than the shipped eggs.
I look forward to updates!

 

[Cloverr39]

Update! I received my shipped eggs today, but unfortunately my order was mixed up with someone else's I'll still be incubating those eggs I got cause they're still silkies just not the right color and some are a lower quality. I will start my incubator tomorrow (allowing shipped eggs to sit for 24h. Apparently that's needed. I've never done that before, but I usually have lower hatch rates from shipped eggs, maybe thats why). So far it seems I'll be getting the eggs I actually ordered but at a later time. This means I have more eggs than I thought I would hatch. I will pick out about 4 - 6 of my own eggs to incubate, because I can always hatch more of my own chicks later.

 

[Cloverr39]

I set the eggs yesterday. The oldest egg was 16 days old, one was 14 days, another one 12 days and the rest were newer. I think there should be 4-5 silkie eggs, 2 silkie mixes and I can't remember if I added the one I suspect is from my frizzle cochin.
I will candle them on day 5-6 and update with how many are developing.

About my mixed up egg order. The breeder says my eggs should be ready to be shipped by next weekend. Hopefully the weather allows it. I kept the mystery eggs I received and set them in my incubator yesterday as well. I believe I have 2 of the eggs I actually ordered, 2 chocolate silkie eggs, some lavender (although I don't know if those will be silkies, they were just labeled lavender) and a couple that were labeled "Rsilk". I believe they're silkies, I just can't figure out what the R means. To my knowledge the breeder doesn't have any silkies in a color that starts with R. I suspect they might be buff, but only time will tell. I have 3 of them. Hopefully they hatch.

Hatch day should be 23 March.

 

[SueT]

YAY, good luck!