How long can I keep fertile eggs on the counter before putting them in the incubator?

[Kennas_Kritters]

I have collected a dozen gorgeous green eggs from my EE chickens over the last 4 days. My question is how many days can they sit on the counter before I put them in the incubator? It's like 75°F in our kitchen. How much longer can I keep collecting eggs for my incubator? I want to keep collecting until I get almost another full dozen since my incubator holds 22 eggs.

 

[Smileybans]

I have successfully hatched out eggs that sat on my counter that were over a month old. I had no hope for them but figured I would try. They hatched out though.
The recommended amount of time however is two weeks max and make sure you rotate the eggs even while they’re on the counter. Being sure to touch them with clean hands of course.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not a case that at a certain age eggs are no longer hatchable. Hatchability gradually drops the longer they are stored. After certain time maybe one or two have lost hatchability. Another day or two a few more may no longer hatch but you may still get a few to hatch. Some of those eggs can last a long time, some cannot.

The conditions they are stored has an effect too. That includes temperature, humidity, and turning. You do not want to have them where the temperatures vary, warming and cooling cycles can be hard on them. A breeze blowing on them can dry them out.

The general recommendation is two weeks when they are stored in or near ideal conditions with no loss in hatchability. Ideal conditions are around 55 Fahrenheit, in high humidity, with turning, and stable storage conditions. Most of us don't have those conditions so just do the best we can.

I store mine at room temperature and turn them daily. I set them as soon as I have enough. That's never more than a week. I number my eggs as I collect them. I use a black sharpie to write a "1" on the first egg on one side and a red sharpie to put a "1" on the other side so I know they are turned correctly. This way I can keep track of which eggs are the oldest. I do not get a difference in hatchability between the oldest and newest when it is only a week.

You are getting about 3 a day. As long as that continues I'd store them until I had 22 eggs and start them then. Will your oldest eggs lose some hatchability? Probably not unless your storage conditions are pretty harsh. But i guarantee you they will not hatch at all of you don't incubate them.

@Smileybans what kind of hatch rate did you get with those 4 week old eggs. I tried that one time with about two dozen 3 to 4 week old eggs but they had not been turned. None of those even started developing but the ones I collected the week before incubation started had a good hatch rate.

 

[416bigbore]

I have collected a dozen gorgeous green eggs from my EE chickens over the last 4 days. My question is how many days can they sit on the counter before I put them in the incubator? It's like 75°F in our kitchen. How much longer can I keep collecting eggs for my incubator? I want to keep collecting until I get almost another full dozen since my incubator holds 22 eggs.

Hello, I had a similar situation a few weeks back were the ambient temp was to warm on the counter. Since you don't want to store fertile eggs in the refrigerator or any longer then 14 days, I placed our eggs in a large cooler with a frozen one gal water jug. That kept the temp between 40-45F and the humidity stayed around 58-60. I also tilted the egg cartons back and fourth a few times during the day.

Best of luck and please keep us posted on your hatch. Is this your first time?

 

[Smileybans]

what kind of hatch rate did you get with those 4 week old eggs. I tried that one time with about two dozen 3 to 4 week old eggs but they had not been turned. None of those even started developing but the ones I collected the week before incubation started had a good hatch rate.

I actually got a really good hatch rate. I started them in my incubator and all developed. I only took out 6 eggs. The rooster I had at that time was the one fertilizing those eggs and I wanted to hatch out more of his chicks. But I no longer had him. Three of the eggs I put under a broody hen and the other three I finished in the incubator. The three under the hen all hatched out. Two in the incubator hatched.

I never turned those eggs in the four weeks they were on the counter and didn’t bother washing my hands when touching them. I was really surprised any developed but figured I had nothing to lose by trying it. Maybe it worked out because he was still a cockerel. Most of my own eggs have hatched out no problems. But many I get online I have issues with.

 

[Peggsblueinc]

Not really a reply another question. I stored mine point down but haven’t turned them. Will they hatch. Which way do I turn completely around

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not really a reply another question. I stored mine point down but haven’t turned them. Will they hatch.

It is not a case that either they will or they won't. Turning them during storage does not absolutely guarantee that they will hatch. Not turning them does not absolutely guarantee that the will not hatch. Turning them during storage improves your odds that they will hatch. It's better if they are turned but there is still a pretty good chance they will hatch if they were not turned.

Which way do I turn completely around

There are two different ways to turn them. Automatic turners in incubators use different ways. Both ways work for turning during storage too.

One way is to lay them flat. It's best to put marks on the eggs so you can tell when they have rolled over 180 degrees. Maybe put an "x" on one side of the egg and a "o" on the opposite side. Or put a black mark on one side and a red on the other. Whatever it takes so you know when the egg was turned completely over. When you turn them just roll the egg over.

Another way is to store them on end in an egg carton with the wide end up so the air cell stays at the top. When you turn them they need to go through a 90 degree rotation. As long as you can keep them stable you can go more but 90 degrees is the minimum target. One way people do this is to put the eggs pointy side down in an egg carton and prop them up on a block or stack of books on one side to create a 45 degree angle. When you turn them move the block or books to the other side.

If you have an automatic turner in your incubator and can take it out, set it on your counter and plug it in. Store your eggs in that.