Need answers to two questions!!

[Kerilou]

My son is in FFA, and they want to incubate and hatch some eggs. I have a Dominique Hen, and Rooster. How long does the hen have to be with the rooster before the eggs are fertile? AND how long does that fertility last??

AND (okay, so technically 3 questions!) how do I store these fertile eggs until they go in the incubator??

THANKS!!

Keri

 

[Kerilou]

Anyone??

 

[blueskylen]

Hi, I am no expert on incubating, but I'd say a week or so with the rooster would guarantee fertile eggs - someone will correct me if i am wrong.

i read the other day that you can keep the eggs on the counter for a few days before incubating, but not in the frig. - need to keep them warm

i'm sure someone who knows better than I will respond soon. have a good day

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Good Morning
A lot will do with the rooster. If he is fertile and the hen has been laying, it is up to him to mate with her. If he is making good contact while mating then it only takes once. It is best to leave them together for a few days if they are not together all the time. If the roo is mating well then the eggs can continue to be fertilized for up to 3 weeks and sometimes longer. A safe bet is 2 weeks. Hatching eggs can be stored in a cool dark area for about ten days. Once you place the eggs in the incubator you can candle them after 7 to 10 days to check growth rate.

 

[lockedhearts]

You can crack a few to check fertility. Look for the "bullseye" there is a sticky here to explain it. If the rooster is doing his job they should be fertile in a few days of him being in with the hen and stay fertile for 2-3 weeks after he is removed.
Storage, I store mine in egg cartons on the counter.

 

[Kerilou]

Thanks for all the help! Thankfully, I have been storing them on the counter in a carton, and I have until next Tuesday, so hopefully I will have nearly a dozen by then. Thank you so much!!

Keri

 

[JordanFamily]

I put my freshly layed eggs in the fridge... I wrapped each in a paper towel and newspaper to cushion them, and also to absorb any excess moisture from the fridge. I put a thermometer in with them and made sure the fridge stayed around 40 degrees. It was at 38 at it's lowest temp... I placed them in the bottom dwarer that is for the vegis and fruit which stays the warmest spot in the fridge. I turned them 3 times a day. They were in there for a week.... I'm happy to say I'm on day 6 in the incubator and all are developing nicely with noticable veining. These were bantam and medium sized eggs so should also work for large eggs. Keep in mind you should not warm and then cool or cool and then warm the eggs to many times. I had them in the fridge for 7 days and then took them out and set them on the counter for 8 hours so they could come up to room temperature before I stuck them in the bator.. And if the temp in your home is over 70 degrees I would think the fridge would keep them better...