If a fresh, fertile egg got cold (but not quite enough to freeze...) ?

[fogbubble]

If an egg is laid in cold temperatures and collected in an hour or so, can it still hatch?

I've got 12 fertile duck eggs. The oldest was laid Wednesday (3 days ago) and they've been in an egg basket in all sorts of positions since then. I left them outside on the porch where the temps got down to about 35 for a while, but then I put them in a slightly warmer place (about 50-55). I've moved the basket around while deciding what to do with them, but I haven't properly rotated them or made sure they were pointed-end down. I don't have an incubator yet, but I was hoping to sell some hatching eggs.

Shannon

 

[bigdawg]

i am not trying to be a smart a&& but if you are going to sell hatching eggs the utmost care needs to be taken. eggs need to be gathered every hour with temps below 45 placed small end down in a carton around 55 degress is good. room temp would even be ok fresh from outside prop up one end of the carton and swap ends daily. three days prior to shipping is probaly the max. i hope i dont sound like a smarty, just trying to be helpful. good luck with your shipping eggs........

 

[fogbubble]

I have other eggs, I'm just wondering about these. And I'm not shipping, just selling locally.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

I have very recently pulled eggs out of my fridge and put them in the incubator because I lost my favorite girl. Three of them. Two of them quit about halfway through, but I'm waiting on the third to hatch any minute now.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Well if I were buying hatching eggs I would love to buy from someone like you but I expect most people don't take the pains you outline!

 

[trailhound]

Okay, Shannon, I think we were meant to be friends, because I keep finding you on the internet- GardenWeb (I think) and now here, today. I promise I am not stalking you, lol! This is my first time incubating, so I am treating this hatch as an experiment, and you are welcome to stick whatever you want in there to see what happens, as long as you promise to help keep me from getting stuck with an excess of ducklings when they hatch. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, if you happen to get this tonight.