How long do they last?

[greening]

after collecting eggs, if i keep them downstairs in my basement, when is the latest i can put them in the incubator? they are chicken eggs, if that makes any difference.

 

[farmgirlforever18]

around ten days

 

[the4heathernsmom]

They say 10 days maximum....the sooner you put them in the incubator the better your hatch chances.....

 

[shelleyd2008]

After 10 days the hatch rates decrease substantially. But I've set 2 week old eggs with little difference. I haven't tried eggs older than that, but have heard/read of people setting month-old eggs with little difference. The biggest factor is how you store them.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Some species actually do better if they are 'older'. I've had much better hatches with quail and guineas that were not 'fresh'.

 

[greening]

okay, they are a week old, and i will put them in as soon as my dang hovabator gets here. i didnt buy it off of ebay so i dont know who they are shipping it with and it has been a week today. and of course, they didnt give me a tracking number or anything. after 10 days, it says you can call and they will give you a shipping/tracking number

 

[valley ranch]

That might mean they're not in a hurry to ship it.

I've tried to get them in the bator as close to a week or ten days. I have heard stories here on the forum about extended times. With Trader Joe's I think. You'll do fine, your storing your eggs well and handling them kindly.