How long will quail eggs last?

[Bigfatchicken]

I was wondering how long will my coturnix quail eggs last if I just leave them in their hutch. I live in florida and my hutch has a closed off section where they lay their eggs all away from the elements.

 

[Denninmi]

For hatching purposes? I would say probably 7 to 10 days, but the sooner you get them in an incubator the better. I have always heard that optimal storage conditions for hatching eggs is between 50 and 60 degrees with humidity roughly 50% and they should be turned at least once a day if not more (off the top of my head, please someone correct me if I'm wrong).

If you're planning on eating them, I would try to gather them daily at the minimum. Egg quality goes downhill fast in warm weather IMO -- a couple of days outside in the heat is bad for them. Then there is always the risk of bacterial contamination and rot.

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

If you are having the heat some areas are having I'd say just a few days even hours. Eggs can start to develop slowly if kept about 70 degrees but die early if not kept at 99.5. Some areas are havign 105 degree weather, hoping your birds aren't in that, but embryos could develop or die in that heat. In proper conditions they are viable for 7 days and lose fertility to 10 days. Rapidly lose fertility after 10.

 

[jensen]

I store my coturnix eggs for about a week before setting -- at around 55º - 60º storage temp. and relative humidity during storage about 70-75% (keeps moisture loss in stored eggs to a minimum). I have always turned the coturnix eggs during storage which seems to increase hatchability some. Has anyone also noticed a benefit from turning eggs during just a week of storage?

 

[Bigfatchicken]

what about for food purposes. lets say I haven't collected for two weeks would the eggs still be good for eating or pickling.

 

[srsmith69]

For me personally, I wouldn't eat an egg left outside in the 90 degree heat we've been having after 3 days. That's just my gut reaction

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
I'm just getting into hatching this year after not having done it for 15 years roughly. Right now, I've got ducks, some baby turkeys, and button quail on the way hatching today (with luck).

I am also thinking about ordering some Coturnix eggs off of ebay. It's summer and all, but they are just so darned cheap it's not like I'm out much if it fails.

For future reference, does anyone store hatching eggs right in a turner rack in an unused incubator to avoid the necessity of daily turning until it's time to put them in the incubator? I have the old, unreliable Hovabator, but the autoturner always worked great. Seems to me that if I put that down in the basement and only plugged in the turner it would be a good place to store eggs, it's cool and relatively humid down there.

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

I've done that with a turner just to make it a little more effortless.