How long can I keep fertilized eggs in the fridge?

[sourland]

Most folks recommend no longer than 10 days. I have kept eggs at least twice as long as that - non refrigerated, approximately 65 F, 50% + humidity, turned twice daily. Just think how long and under what conditions it takes a hen to build a clutch prior to setting.

 

[Foristers]

Nope you said, "Why the fridge?" That is not an answer. Everyone knows they do best at room temp and for roughly 10 days. That was not what the OP asked about.

Any information is appreciated on the subject. If it is better to keep them at room temp that is good to know. Thanks!

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I just don't want to use an incubator. Call me lazy but I rather the broody hen do all the work. LOL. I'll keep my rooster longer if I have to.

Haha! Same here. I’m incubating my first chicks right now in an incubator. Broodies are much less work, but I like the idea of watching them hatch

 

[Foristers]

Most folks recommend no longer than 10 days. I have kept eggs at least twice as long as that - non refrigerated, approximately 65 F, 50% + humidity, turned twice daily. Just think how long and under what conditions it takes a hen to build a clutch prior to setting.

Thank you. Last year my first broody hen was given 6 eggs collected over 3 weeks and refrigerated, and then went "unbroody" for a couple of days when I tried to move her to a more private area. She finally went back to sitting and all 6 eggs hatched and one is now the rooster in question. My second broody hen this past spring was given 6 eggs collected in under a week and only 3 hatched. Go figure.

 

[Foristers]

Haha! Same here. I’m incubating my first chicks right now in an incubator. Broodies are much less work, but I like the idea of watching them hatch

That part would be fun, especially for the kids. And also they end up being more human friendly - I think?

 

[speckledhen]

According to my chicken book

"You can store eggs for up to 6 days without noticing a significant difference. for each day thereafter, hatchability will suffer by approximately 1 percent. Store eggs out of sunlight in a cool, relatively dry place but not in the refrigerator. the best temperature is 55*F (33*C). Humidity should be low enough to prevent moisture from condensing on the shells, which would attract molds and also encourage any bacteria already on the shell to multiply" "to minimize evaporation of eggs stored longer than 6 days, seal cartons in plastic bags, or better yet, wrap the eggs individually in plastic wrap." "store eggs in clean cartons. Hard-plastic egg cartons can be easily disinfected for re-use; recycled styrofoam or cardboard cartons from the grocery store accumulate bacteria over time. When I use such cartons for hatching eggs, I discard them after one use." " Place eggs in the carton with their large ends up to keep the yolks centered within the white. if the eggs will be stored longer than 6 days, keep yolks from sticking to the inside of the shell by tilting the eggs from one side to the other. Instead of handling eggs individually, elevate one end of the carton one day, and the opposite end the next day."

I recommend you follow this as I stored 4 eggs for 4 days using this information and they are now properly developing in my incubator.

....and yet, the textbook is just a guide, not a definitive answer. All statements must be fairly general because there are too many variables, including the temp of someone's fridge or their house, or the health of the birds...or even the chemistry between two birds making it impossible for a fertilized egg to develop (yes, I've had that happen, several test incubations were done after my suspicions)

If I decide to store a collection of eggs past a week, I begin to tilt them in the cartons. Enough hatch at two weeks to make it worth keeping them that long, for me. But, as I pointed out in my own real life example, sometimes fertility goes out much sooner for some unknown reason.

 

[speckledhen]

That part would be fun, especially for the kids. And also they end up being more human friendly - I think?

Actually, I find the opposite is true. Broody-raised chicks are often standoffish because mama keeps coming between them and anything, including you much of the time. They take cues from her in that way. They usually calm down later if they are a friendly type anyway, but at first, they tend to be more skittish unless mama sort of acts like you are a co-parent.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Fert eggs...
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY....

• GOOD: Stored in a cooler with a small ice pack (changed out daily). In a carton and on a tilt. Change the direction of the tilt at LEAST 3 times a day. Ideal temp in the 60's.. POINTED END DOWN.
  
• BAD: After ten days the odds will not be in your favor for a decent hatch rate. 12 is the max for me. 8 is better. If the eggs are stored correctly.
  
• UGLY: Refrigeration and fertile eggs are not good bed fellows. Period.

 

[Foristers]

Well, there is no one exact answer. I have hatched eggs sitting on a shelf in my cool basement that were two weeks old and most hatched. I have pulled an egg from the fridge that had been in there a week to put under a broody, not thinking it would hatch, sort of as a place holder, and it hatched.

Eggs begin to lose viability in proper temps, unrefrigerated, but at cool temps, after a week. After two weeks, viability drops dramatically. At three weeks, it's unlikely any will hatch. I would never purposefully store eggs in the fridge to hatch. They won't be viable in the fridge as long as they are on a counter in a cool location. If it's in hot weather times and you have no cool basement, you store them low to the ground in the coolest location in your house that you know of because cool air sinks.

On the flipside, one situation happened to me almost 7 years ago when I traded my breeding rooster for a freezer of venison. I had sold the eggs up until that point that he left and I figured I had viability for another two weeks on eggs I collected after he was gone. Well, it didn't happen. I got only one chick from all the eggs collected so it was a major goof-up. Fertility lasted on that batch only about a week for some unknown reason. It was not an incubation problem or a rooster problem (he was very young and virile, no issues with any other eggs hatching). This is why I say there is no one exact answer.

That seems to be the truth of the matter. There must be several factors that play a roll and not all are fully understood. Thanks!

 

[The Golden Egg5]

That part would be fun, especially for the kids. And also they end up being more human friendly - I think?

Yea. They imprint on you when you hatch them yourself. It is also a great way to show kids birth and teach them how it works. It is very interesting and really not as much work as you would think.