How old can eggs be while still haveing a strong chance of hatching?

[maryhysong]

I just saw you on the NYD hatchalong, hahaha. I'd love to join, but I think that these eggs will arrive too early and my hens haven't been laying at all lately. I'm considering trying the lights so that I can get a few eggs, but it just seems like a waste of electricity and I don't want to disrupt their natural cycle.

Anyways, thanks for the help! And if you do do that experiement, I'd love to hear the results.

I think I will do the experiment and of course I'll put the info here on the forums!

 

[cmfarm]

Last spring/summer I would collect eggs for 2 weeks and then set them and the age of the egg didn't really effect them too much (I dated them and counted up when each egg was dated that didn't hatch). I also have an old poulty book that has a graft about hatchability for each day of age. Acording to the book at 10 days the hatchability is at 95%. At day 14 it is about 87%. At day 32 it is about 2%.

 

[cochins1088]

Thanks cmfarm! Thats the type of answer I was looking for. 95% is still really good so I will be asking her to collect for 7 days for sure, maybe even a couple more seeing that they still have would have fairly good chance of hatching. Like I said, I really want as many as posible from this variety but I don't want to spend a fortune either. Thanks again.

 

[madamwlf]

Last spring/summer I would collect eggs for 2 weeks and then set them and the age of the egg didn't really effect them too much (I dated them and counted up when each egg was dated that didn't hatch). I also have an old poulty book that has a graft about hatchability for each day of age. Acording to the book at 10 days the hatchability is at 95%. At day 14 it is about 87%. At day 32 it is about 2%.

But these weren't shipped eggs. Shipping eggs takes a toll on eggs so shipping older eggs takes a heavier toll on them.

 

[maryhysong]

Last spring/summer I would collect eggs for 2 weeks and then set them and the age of the egg didn't really effect them too much (I dated them and counted up when each egg was dated that didn't hatch). I also have an old poulty book that has a graft about hatchability for each day of age. Acording to the book at 10 days the hatchability is at 95%. At day 14 it is about 87%. At day 32 it is about 2%.

that is some great info; that is what I was looking for when I was searching to answer the question. Think I'll still do my own check; then I'll at least know how good it will be with my own eggs.

 

[cochins1088]

But these weren't shipped eggs. Shipping eggs takes a toll on eggs so shipping older eggs takes a heavier toll on them.

I realize that. They say not to expect more than 50% of shipped eggs to hatch, but if some eggs have a 95% chance of hatching without being shipped compared to 100%, there isn't much difference. They will all be shipped, so they will all have a heavy toll on them but age won't affect them as much as I thought it might. Since the dates will be written on the eggs, I'll have to share my results once they hatch but that won't be until late December.

 

[fried green eggs]

Are the eggs going to be shipped out to you in December for the NYD hatch-along? Shipped eggs during the heavy Christmas mailing season better pay for insurance on them.

 

[cochins1088]

I will try to arrange them for the NYD hatch along, but if they arrive too early, I'm going to have to try to find other eggs. I didn't even think of insurance, I'll have to ask her about that. Thanks!

 

[fried green eggs]

I would go for local eggs for NYD hatch instead of paying to have them shipped duing the heavy parcel mailing season.

 

[cochins1088]

That does make sence, maybe I'll place my order tonight and just ask around for eggs to add to the incubator for the NYD hatch along. Everyday, I go down to the coop hoping for just 1 egg from my 14 hens, but it's been nearly 2 weeks since I've seen one.