How old was the oldest eggs you ever hatched out??

[instar8]

My very first incubated eggs were 12 days old, and 6 out of 7 hatched. BUT, and it's a big but, they were from my own chickens.

I lost all my broodies and my roos to a fox, so I grabbed the last 7 eggs that i knew to be fertile, and looked around for someone with a broody. Didn't find one, so i put in a rush order for an incubator...all this time, the eggs were sitting in a bowl on the kitchen counter, it was summer, so probably mid-70s, i didn't know they needed to be turned, didn't really know anything about incubating, i'd always let the girls do it, then raised the peeps myself, just for space and safety reasons.

The only one that didn't hatch didn't develop at all, and likely wasn't fertile. I helped a couple out, who probably got stuck cause i kept opening the darned incubator, but they were all fine.

Since then I've incubated shipped eggs twice, and was lucky to get 1/3 of them to hatch.

 

[henney penny]

Ok my ebay eggs should be here tomorrow,my own eggs will set with the eBay eggs,the oldest will be 17 days old.These will be silkie and Cochin eggs.Will keep you updated.So glad I got some input on this,am more hopeful now on the older eggs.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Wish we would've gotten a few more answers to this question.

I am trying to decide if I should buy another cheap LG Still Air or wait until after April 19th to put my most recent eggs in. That's the date the first batch is due to hatch. The newest eggs will be at least 20 days old by then, depending on how fresh they were when they were sent.

Hmmmm, I think I see another incubator in my future.

 

[pogmobum]

Mine will be 23 days old when i manage to put them in and because it is so hard to get information on this subject and i cant afford another bator im going to start a thread which follows the progress of my three eggs at 23 days old. At least it might be able to answer some questions for people in the future just cant decide on the best title so that people can find it easiley, any ideas?

 

[henney penny]

How about, incubating old eggs

 

[TheCrazyChick]

How about, incubating old eggs

That would work!

 

[henney penny]

How about--Incubating old eggs? Or just stay on here and we will do it together,yours will be older than mine,but mine are 17 days old and that's way older than they recommend. I see you are form Ireland I have always wanted to go there.Whats the weather like there right now?

 

[pogmobum]

Thats a great idea at least then we might get a base line of how old they can and cant work at i would say the weather is great for the past few days no rain and lots of sunshine the goats are loving it at the moment they hate the rain. Lol

 

[henney penny]

46 eggs in bator,had to put some outside turner,will have to turn thses by hand. Will candle old ones in 10 days then may have room for the ones outside turner

 

[pogmobum]

My very old ones wont be going in until 15th unfortunately, will update on the first candling also good luck!