Incubation Experiment on Fertility Length of Stored Eggs

[Trux]

Thank you!
I love to follow experiments!

Didnt you hatch Balut eggs?
hope I spelled that right

 

[Kiki]

Didnt you hatch Balut eggs?
hope I spelled that right

Yes I did.
I hatched two balutties.

 

[Trux]

Yes I did.
I hatched two balutties.

Thought so that is why I thought you would be interested in this

 

[christylynne11]

Sweet!
Did you happen to date the eggs or label them some kind of way each day you collected them?

I didn't think that far ahead lol. I will next time though!

 

[Fairview01]

I decided to see exactly how long I could hold eggs before incubating them. So, I collected eggs daily (from my 2 ducks that tend to have a 100% fertility rate) for 25 days and kept them in a carton on my kitchen counter. The temp in our house stays between 65 and 70°F. After 25 days, I placed the eggs in the incubator. It is now day 7, and all but 3 of the eggs have begun to develop! I will keep everyone posted throughout the incubation until I have a final hatch number, but so far, I can say that the eggs remained fertile for at least 22 days when kept at 65-70°.

Last year I collected 41 Cornish eggs over a 2 week period and hatched 37 using Petersime's preincubation techniques. I was using a foam incubator with a 42 egg capacity turner.

This article or a different one?
https://www.petersime.com/hatchery-development-department/egg-storage/

They have quite a few articles on their preincubation techniques and equipment. After reading a bunch 9f them I diy a similar system with a college refrigerator and my incubator.

 

[christylynne11]

Last year I collected 41 Cornish eggs over a 2 week period and hatched 37 using Petersime's preincubation techniques. I was using a foam incubator with a 42 egg capacity turner.

They have quite a few articles on their preincubation techniques and equipment. After reading a bunch 9f them I diy a similar system with a college refrigerator and my incubator.

I'm using the same incubator. I've never had any problems with 14 day old eggs, which is why I decided to try this experiment when I realized that I had been collecting my eggs for 2 weeks but was still waiting on a hatch. Next time I will mark the date on each egg.

 

[Equimby88]

Last year I had space in my incubator for about 7 more eggs once I'd filled it up with my hatching eggs so I thought stuff it and filled the 7 spaces with eggs if put in the fridge. They had been in the fridge for about 8 days and every single one hatched.. crazy..

 

[Fairview01]

I'm using the same incubator. I've never had any problems with 14 day old eggs, which is why I decided to try this experiment when I realized that I had been collecting my eggs for 2 weeks but was still waiting on a hatch. Next time I will mark the date on each egg.

If heritage Cornish were so durable.

Last year I had space in my incubator for about 7 more eggs once I'd filled it up with my hatching eggs so I thought stuff it and filled the 7 spaces with eggs if put in the fridge. They had been in the fridge for about 8 days and every single one hatched.. crazy..

Eggs are a lot more durable than people give them credit. I forgot to turn my incubator back on before I left for a weekend trip. 36 hours later it was 82. Had 7 and 14 day old sets. Other than being 2 days late there wasn't a noticeable difference in hatch rates.

 

[Trux]

I have been dating every egg collected for hatching, and I also mark it with hens initials or number.

 

[christylynne11]

I have been dating every egg collected for hatching, and I also mark it with hens initials or number.

I only collected from 2 hens. One has white eggs, the other green, so I know which is which. But that is definitely a good idea.