How long can hatching eggs last

[Edgara]

Good morning I was wondering if anyone knew how many days hatching eggs can last without going bad or the hatch rate becoming zero percent.

 

[sourland]

A lot depends on how they are stored. A general rule of thumb frequently quoted is 10 days. Think how long it can take a hen to build a clutch - sometimes far longer than that. Long, long ago before we knew any better I had one incubator. I would save eggs, and store them in an earthen cellar - 50 to 60 % humidity and around 60 degrees F - turned daily. I sometimes held eggs as long as 21 days (time it took to hatch a batch and disinfect the incubator) and generally had hatches in the 80% range. No question that fresher is better, but older eggs handled properly can still be viable. Another factor is the strength/viability of the parent stock involved.