How long?

[chick lovers]

I have looked for but can't find a thread on how long I can keep eggs before putting them under a broody. Does anybody know or can I keep them as long as I need? Thanks in advance for any advice?

 

[sumi]

For the best hatch results you should set an egg within a week of it being laid, but that is not always possible! I have heard of people hatching eggs that were 21 days old, but keep in mind that after 10 days the hatchability of the eggs drops significantly and if you store eggs longer than 18 days you may have problems such as malpositioned chicks, chicks dying near the end of incubation or eggs failing to develop at all.

Egg for hatching should be stored fat end up and tilted at least once a day to keep the yolks centred. If you store them in a tray or an egg carton, slip a book under one end and switch it to the other end in the evenings. That will be sufficient. The ideal temperature for storing them is 60*F-62*F and humidity of 75%, if possible.