refrigerated eggs and viability

[janjan1]

I've got a hen that wants to sit on something. She currently is keeping a couple fake eggs nice & toasty. I have some eggs that was recently layed by another hen that I've had in the refrigerator for a few days. How long can a fertilized egg be chilled and still hatch out? I'm thinking that perhaps I can pull about 5 or 6 out and put them under her. Thoughts?
TIA
Jan

 

[arlee453]

There are folks who have successfully hatched refrigerated grocery store eggs (the kind marked fertile that you can find in some areas and/or heath food type stores)

I'm figuring a few days in your fridge would be no worse than being collected, washed, handled, packaged and refrigerated for consumption.

Worth a try...

 

[DarkUnicorn]

I had an egg in the fridge for a day or two, pulled it, let it warm up,
i've been candling and there is a chick so far....

You just never know.

This little egg is a fighter

 

[sara]

Try it. Take them out, let them come to room temperature, and then give them to her. I just hatched 6 of 6 ducks eggs that were in the fridge for over 2 weeks. Candle them after a week, and see what happens. Good luck!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

2 of the 10 babies I hatched a few weeks ago were from eggs that sat in my mom's refrigerator for at least a week.

They are healthy, normal, chicks.

Just be sure to let them sit out and warm up to room temp before putting them under her and they should do just fine. Good luck.

 

[penelopebianchi]

Thanks!

A hen was sitting; and a squirrel took her eggs; so I have put 5 (I am assuming fertile.......two roosters!) from the refrigerator under her. I will candle them in a week and report back!

Penelope

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I put 10 eggs from the fridge in my incubator on sep. 17, candled the other day and 9 are developing! Some had been in fridge for over a week and others for a few days...you never know, huh? I always heard, growing up, that once eggs were chilled they were "dead". Not so, IMO : )

 

[emvickrey]

Quote:
I decided to give it a try too. I put8 eggs from my chickens that I had in the fridge into the bator. I let them war m up before I put them in. They are in the hatcher now. They where all fertile and developing. I'll find out soon if refrigeration hurt them soon.

 

[penelopebianchi]

Thanks so much!

I so appreciate the information!!!!

I have "Mille fleur" bantams!

And I hate to drop names........(I always say "KLUNK" when I do!)

"KLUNK!!!" I am the one who lives next door to Oprah who has the "happy chickens"......Dand I give her eggs over the fence!) For those of you who watch Oprah......she has really encouraged the raising of "backyard chickens"!

thanks for the help!

Penelope

 

[Akane]

It's actually suggested you refrigerate them if you want to try to hatch eggs that are more than a 2weeks old. I've set refrigerated eggs several times and haven't noticed much difference in hatch rate. In fact I went to just tossing all my eggs in the fridge and then setting what I wanted instead of having to plan ahead and separate them. If you think about it collecting eggs in our current weather (47F out right now and not over 60F all weekend) or spring temps is not much different than the temp of most refrigerators and people still get good early hatches. You do have to watch out for appliances that run unusually cold or cold areas from lack of good air flow. Some portions of the fridge can freeze. Someone on here froze all their eggs that way once and I've pulled packages of frozen veggies out of my fridge on occasion when it gets packed too full. Other than that eggs stuck in the fridge have a pretty good hatch rate. Often at least 80-90% if they are within the usual 7-10day old or less suggested age range for incubating eggs.