How long can you leave a fertalized egg?

[kryptoniteqhs]

Ok it is my understanding that a fertalized egg does not begin to develop until a hen lays on it or until it is put in an incubator. How long can you leave a fertalized egg while your waiting for a hen to go broody? What do you do with it in the mean time? Try to keep it at room temp? Refrigerate it? Im a little confused. It starts developing after it hits 100 degrees or so? Im just trying to figure out, if I order some eggs, how long they would last while I am waiting for a hen to go broody?

 

[Marlinchaser]

Its best to gather daily or more often if its extremely hot/cold. If you are thinking of incubating, or waiting on a broodie to make up her mind(they are female of course they cant do anything on time, or to fit your schedule)

You can store eggs in a cool room, pointy end down for about a week before hatch rates start to drop. you dont need to leave eggs for a broodie to start sitting, if she decides to sit, she will sit on air if you take everything away from her, so once she decides to sit bring the eggs you want her on and put them under her, she will do the rest.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Just reread that part, I would have incubator ready in case she doesnt go, I would want to get those eggs under her as soon as possible AFTER letting them rest for a couple hours. You have to figure they are already on day 3 or 4 depending on if they were all gathered same day or over a couple days, then in transit for 2+/- days. If you get one that decides to go, perhaps put fake eggs or golf balls under her till the REAL eggs get there, Chickens cant count, so you can give them eggs, and they will sit till something hatches or they decide that nothing is gonna hatch.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I read an article somewhere that said if you keep the eggs for less than 7 days to keep them at room temp, cooling them hurt hatch rates. Hatch rates drop off fast after 7 days but if you know your keeping them more than 7 days then cooling them helps. Don't remember where I read it.

If I wont one to sit I take the eggs an leave golf balls till she starts an then swap them for eggs. Don't know if it helps but it don't seem to hurt.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
How do you know the hen will go broody? some breeds do not go broody at all.

Broodiness is hormonaly controlled, nothing you can do will make a hen go broody.

Out of my flock only 2 have ever gone broody, and one of them was broody 3 times in 1 year, so you never know...

What I do is wait until a hen goes broody, then find eggs for her to sit on.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

how long do they normally stay broody?

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
That is an age old question since people have been shipping eggs. If a hen lays an egg a day and doesn't start to sit until they get 12 to 18 eggs in the nest. then some of the eggs are way past what you read is good for hatching eggs. It's a good thing the chickens don't read so they don't seem to know that and the eggs hatch fine. When you throw shipping into the mix it does effect the hatchability of the eggs

Steve in NC

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
Again, depends on the bird. I've had one broody who sat for 6 weeks straight - she wasn't giving up until she had chicks - and I've had birds who give up on the nest after 3 weeks. In that case, I had given her eggs, but not until she'd been sitting for about 1 1/2 weeks already, so she abandoned her nest, in essence. Fortunately, I had another broody to give the eggs to. My broodies are Silkies and out of my 10 hens, someone is always broody.

What kind of chickens do you have and who are you hoping will go broody?

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

thanks for all the in put!! I am hoping my sexlink will go broody again.....ive also got some cochin bantams, but they are still young, but I know theyre supposed to be pretty broody.

 

[ginbart]

Sexlinks will go broody? I have 2 of them.