Incubating Eggs

[ascott1978]

How long can I keep eggs (at room temperature) prior to incubating them.

I would like to hatch about 30 but I only getting about 8 eggs a day.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Up to 10 days and then the hatch rate starts to decline...I keep them in a cool spot on the kitchen counter, tilt them acouple times a day to keep the yolk from settling to one side and you will be good to go....

 

[NYREDS]

Not a problem. They will easily keep long enough for you to assemble a group of 30.
If you have a cool [55 degrees] place to keep them like a basement they will keep 7 days w/o losing any viability. There's a small reduction in viability from 7 to 10 days and after 10 days viability begins to drop off mor sharpely.
Sounds like you can put a cllutch together in 4 days which isn't a problem at all. Think of a hen laying a clutch of eggs prior to going broody-takkes several days.

 

[ascott1978]

Thanks for the advise.

If the eggs have mud or "stuff" on them, should I wipe them off? And if so, with what?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I was always taught never to wash hatching eggs, just to wipe them off with a dry cloth...very dirty eggs I would never set......

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Don't wash the eggs. Wait until they are dry and wipe them off. If they are real dirty they could explode in the bator and ruion (sp?) your whole hatch. A little dirt is okay.

Good luck! I'm setting my first set this weekend maybe we will be hatching together.

 

[ascott1978]

Thanks for all the replies. I've started collecting the eggs yesterday and will be incubating them soon. Can't wait...