should I take eggs & how to store them?

[southern oaks]

One of my hens had a nest across the road (we have very very little traffic) I found her nest, and took 4 of the 8 eggs she had. She has gone back and continued to lay there. Yesterday the county mowed over there (nest nor eggs were hurt thank goodness) so I took 4 more eggs and left 3. Now she has not went back to the nest today. Should I pull the remainder eggs and if so, my bator is full how do i store them till I get room. It will be about 5 days. Thanks

 

[PeepsCA]

She may not go back to the nest now that the area is mowed (she feels it's an unsafe spot to lay now), but she may be skipping a day in her laying, so I'd wait until tomorrow to take the rest of the eggs if she has not gone back by then.

I store my eggs in cardboard egg cartons, pointy end down in a cool room (below 70 degrees), out of direct sunlight, (a closet or garage may work if those areas are cool enough). I put a book or 2 under one end of the cartons to tilt them, and then change ends 1-2 times a day (basically turning them). I try to incubate the eggs by the time they are 10 days old if possible... but I have gotten away with incubating 14-16 day old eggs several times with a pretty good hatch rate (and a few of my Hens have laid clutches of 24-30 eggs and hatched most of them out, so there is SOMEWHAT of a grace period there...depending on the daytime temps and how shaded the nests were). Viability supposedly decreases rapidly once the eggs are past 10 days old tho...

Good luck with them. And be on the lookout, your Hen will most likely start laying in a new spot!

 

[southern oaks]

Thank you, I have my pied back on a nest again

and if she starts a new one then I am gonna be soooo over run with guineas my hubby may have to move out to make room for them all

Will keep ya updated I have 20 more in the bator now..