Keeping eggs

[FarmerWife]

Hello all,
How long can you keep the eggs that you want your chicken to hatch? I'm obviously a newbie, lol. I was told by a relative that you can do that, I want the eggs from one particular chicken, and she doesn't lay every day. I don't know if you can really do that, and if so, how long are they viable? Also, someone here mentioned that some breeds are less agressive than others, which breeds as far as roosters go, are the least agressive? We only keep our chickens for the eggs, and don't give them any lay mash, we already had one demon possessed rooster we had to find a new home for, I don't want another one. Thanks, have a great day everyone.

Blessings,
Dianna in NM

 

[julianblight101]

Quote:
hope you find an answer for that.

 

[gritsar]

I have never tried to hatch eggs that were more than 10 days old. I know you can go longer than that, but I use that as my cut off time. I keep eggs that I am collecting to hatch in an egg carton on the kitchen counter with something under it (I usually use a roll of duct tape) on one side to tilt the eggs. At least twice a day I change the side the roll is on to keep the yolk centered.

Ensuring that you get a docile roo is a gamble with any breed, as chickens are individuals. Even with a breed known for being gentle it's possible to get a roo that will test you. I myself am partial to large fowl brahma roos.

I would definitely feed any hens that are laying a feed that is suitable for laying hens. Offer oyster shell or other calcium supplement on the side to ensure that the hen doesn't have to rob her own body's stores to produce a hard shelled egg.

 

[FarmerWife]

Hello,
Thanks for the info, I looked up the Brahma, and most say they are pretty gentle. As for the feed, we give them a complete feed, we just don't give them the feed that makes them lay. We don't want the hormones, there's enough junk in the food we eat already. I let them free range as much as possible, but we have a huge amount of large hawks here, so I tend to be over cautious, I'd hate to see one killed. We also give them a lot of veggies and fruit from the garden in summer, we grow everything organic. They really love the swiss chard, and the melons. Anyway, thanks again for the info, I will try it your way once the weather permits.

Blessings,
Dianna in NM

 

[Den in Penn]

Layer feed just has added calcium. As far as I know there are no man made hormones to get chickens laying. I can just imagine the chatter on here if there were.

 

[abbylane35]

When I was a kid my mom would collect eggs up to two weeks before putting in the incubator (usually when we needed a lot of eggs...she did the kindergarten class hatching project every year). They always seemed to be fine, she would just keep them in the carton and flip them over two or three times a day.

Good luck!

 

[ScottyHOMEy]

Quote:
Just reinforcing what Den had to say, layer feed does not induce laying, i.e., there's no hormonal additive or anything of the like. It simply has more calcium than grower feeds so that the hens don't strip their own systems of calcium (leading to something like osteoporosis and generally not thriving) to make good shells for the eggs that they will lay at their own rate.

 

[jessica.anne]

Quote:
Just to clarify something in this post...you don't 'flip' the eggs over, you'll mess up their air cells. Keeping them in an egg carton on the counter and using something to prop up one end of the carton, like the other poster said, and tilting the eggs 3 or 5 times a day by moving the object you're using to hold up the carton to the other end. You want to turn your eggs an odd number of times a day. I've heard folks on here say they collect their eggs for 14 days. Some prefer less days, however, since fertility drops after so many days.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Just reinforcing what Den had to say, layer feed does not induce laying, i.e., there's no hormonal additive or anything of the like. It simply has more calcium than grower feeds so that the hens don't strip their own systems of calcium (leading to something like osteoporosis and generally not thriving) to make good shells for the eggs that they will lay at their own rate.

Agreed. Layer feed doesn't cause laying it just provides them with the proper nutrients necessary for good egg production. I actually use a flockraiser type feed because I am feeding a bunch of different ages. I offer oyster shell in a dispenser on the side and those hens that need it, take it.

 

[FarmerWife]

Oh, ok. I told you I was a newbie, lol . I thought because it was lay mash, that it induced them to lay eggs. Hubby brought a bag home once, and the eggs became HUGE and some double yokes. I thought that was caused by hormones. I am giving them flock raiser, because I also have ducks in the same pen with them., and it's also for ducks. I learned something new, maybe I will switch since lay mash does have more calcium for them. Thank you all so much for the info, I'm glad I posted, I would have gone on thinking the wrong thing. Blessings to you all.

Dianna in NM