Purchasing Fresh, Local Hatching Eggs.... When to start incubating?

[BGCNVLA]

Should I start as soon as I get the eggs? Or is it better of wait a couple of day after they're laid?

 

[Mahonri]

I hear the fresher, the better.

 

[Serrin]

How many will you be starting with? A full incubator, just like a washing machine, is more efficient when it has a full load.

If you have a full load of eggs to start with, I say go for it! Why wait? Like Mahonri said, the fresher the better!

 

[BGCNVLA]

I think I'm only be doing about a dozen eggs. Is that too few? I think my incubator says it holds 60....

 

[Mahonri]

Don't overwhelm yourself.... like I did last hatch.

I think the perfect number to take care of when they are little is somewhere between 12 & 20.

You are going to have some quitters, so set 40 eggs and see what happens.

 

[BGCNVLA]

Really that many? I know that there's no exact science, but with an incubator (and it being my 1st time) how many chicks should I expect from 40 eggs? Barring any unfortunate disaster. Thanks so much!

 

[greathorse]

30 would be a nice hatch more than that is great and less is likely