Newbie question about saving eggs for the incubator

[crowsnestfarms]

We just started today collecting fertile eggs to put in the incubator. We are gonna collect them for about a week and then put them all in the incubator at once. My question is this: Can we just place them in the cardboard egg cartons we bought at Orscheln's and leave them sitting out on the counter? During this time, is their anything else we should with the eggs to make sure they stay "alive"? Do the eggs need to be turned during this time or only after they are started in the incubator? Never hatched eggs in an incubator before so I have a lot of questions. I hope someone will have time to help me out here. Thanks and GOD bless you!!!

 

[Runawaylobster]

I don't have a very cool space to store them so i leave mine on the counter. Just put them in an egg box pointy end down and then put a fat book under one end, then move the book to the other end 3 times/day that will do the same as the turner in an incubator. I would keep mine a little cooler if i could but i don't have a spot, my house is about 75 degrees. but 65 would be better.

 

[crowsnestfarms]

Thanks for the info, what I really didn't know was whether they should be turned or not but I didn't think about storing them pointy side down. We have it right now. Thanks!

 

[crowsnestfarms]

Gotta get that incubator done quickly, saving eggs on day two and already have six eggs and may get more later this afternoon. Do hens normally lay at a certain time of day or can it be anytime? I seem to have some who lay in the morning and some who prefer the afternoon. They all prefer warmer temps I think as they seem to cut back from 4 eggs to 2 a day when we have a couple of cold days. There are two who seem to lay like clockwork no matter what, though. Does anyone else experience this as well?