Storage Before Incubation ( How Long ? )

[SilkiePuff]

I've been doing some research online, with a wide assortment of mixed reports.

how long can a chicken egg sit after being collected from the hen, before it has to go into the incubator so it doesn't become un-viable.

i'm asking because i've found online it will either say for chickens anywhere from 4-5 weeks at room temp no lower then 50degrees and no higher then 60 degrees.. as long as the egg is rotated to prevent the yolk from sticking to the sides of the shell

then other sites say just a week.

so i'm a wee bit confused. how long can I let my eggs sit before they have to go into the incubator.. right now i just stick them in when I have the room, which of course doesn't make sense since I have chicks hatching at random times..and would like to stop that so I can have them all hatch at the same time

thanks in advance.

 

[cbbantams]

We keep our eggs 7 days.We set the eggs that we collect all week every Sunday evening.That way after a month we have chicks hatching every week.Sometimes when we first turn our lights on in the winter to get the pullets started laying we will save the eggs for 14 days just because there will not be enough eggs that early in the year to set in just 7 days.This is the way we have done things for years and it has worked well.

 

[flgardengirl]

I shoot for 7 days sometimes I will sneak a few more in the 8th day if a special hen lays them lol.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

From memory cause I don't have my chart anymore.

Unrefrigerated
90% or better the first 7 days
80% or better by day 14
40% on day 22
10% by day 29

Refrigerated
80% on day 3
75% on day 7
70% on day 14
65% on day 22
60% on day 29
55% on day 36
.......
........

Anyway a week is best, 2 weeks is ok an refrigerate any ya want to try to keep for longer.