How old are fresh hatching eggs?

I try never to send eggs over 2 days old. 3 days is the max. But my PO sends all my eggs express so you usually get them the next day which would make them 3 to 4 days old.
But I hatch what I call all my old eggs myself. And they will be up to 3 weeks old, it is eggs I dont sell for or I dont have room for in the incubators.
But you have to remember a hen lays a clutch of eggs before she ever sets on them.

 

I start collecting on Saturday to ship out Tuesday morning. Anything older than that is my own to hatch. I currently am only setting eggs every two weeks for myself and have seen no difference in hatchability but if I tell people I will ship fresh eggs, then that is what I am going to do.


Lanae

 

That's it. I ship eggs laid 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ship 4th (or eggs laid Fri, Sat, Sun, ship Mon or whatever is freshest).
I've candled eggs I've rec'd in the mail and seen some r e a l l y large air cells for *supposedly* 'fresh for hatching' eggs (and usually unhatchable --- older egg = reduced viability = bigger air cell = more likely to get displaced during shipping).

After 10 days, I no longer consider an egg 'fresh for hatching'. That doesn't mean an older egg can't or won't hatch, it is just not *fresh* any more and reduces the chances.


Lisa

 

That's not too too terrible. I'd say 11-day-old eggs are still hatchable (but not so fresh). When were they shipped? Did USPS misplace them for an extra day or two? Were the air cells intact?

I paid for 2 dz and got 21.

Been there. Paid for a dozen eggs and got 11 eggs one time --- all intact and had a decent hatch, but I bought a dozen (12) eggs and there were only 11 in the box. Wasn't expecting extras, just the eggs I bought. No note or explanation of why, or a refund (or offer of refund) of the egg I was shorted.
If I can't supply the right egg count of fresh eggs, I send a partial refund or reschedule the shipment.
I often see offers of '12+ eggs for hatching' from folks that have one or two hens of a breed and wonder how they accomplish that (they usually have big disclaimers that they are not responsible for eggs after they are sent).
You do, I'm sure, do right by your customers. And true, not everyone has the same philosphy. People are funny.

Lisa
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Before you buy, I suggest that you ask the seller what their definition is when they say fresh. Everybody has a different idea of what that means.

Two week old eggs are fine to hatch, but considering how the post office can dither around, it wouldn't surprise me to have shipment take a full week in the mail. I don't sell hatching eggs, but if I did 2 days, 3 days absolute max before they are shipped and then hope they have a quick trip and if not, they will still be hatchable. At least hatchable for age, no telling what the post office might do to them.

 

I just sent out two dozen hatching eggs today. 7 were laid this morning and the rest were laid since Monday.

It's a "test hatch" to see if the 5.5 month old roos are doing their job.

 

There should be no issue from Permanent Marker on the eggs. I mark 99.9% of my eggs for hatching with Sharpie Permanent Marker here. No problems with hatchability.
Good luck with your eggs. I hope they surprise you pleasantly.

Lisa