storing eggs prior to incubation

[Darkjeweler]

Ok, so I have tons of eggs and two full incubators. what is the best way to store the fertile eggs till the incubators are free? i have about 21 days left till one is free.

i did try to incubate some eggs that were kept on the counter for 3 weeks, none of them veined out. i wound hate to waste all these eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't do ducks, just chickens and turkeys, but the principles are the same. This Texas A&M article gives good information on how to store eggs for incubation.

Texas A&M Incubation site
http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf

Buy another incubator, a big one. Once every week to ten days, start a new batch of eggs in it. Use one or both of your other incubators as a hatcher. When eggs are ready to go into lockdown, move them from this new larger incubator to one of the others. Three weeks is just too long.

 

[ChicKat]

Ridgerunner - thank you for the great link.

 

[Darkjeweler]

I just bought the two incubators I am using and I also made a hatching box from an old igloo cooler. So, right now I can effectively incubate 84 eggs..

One incubator is full of guinea eggs and the other is full of duck eggs. Considering I have about 100 eggs still sitting on the counter, I really need to convince the guinea girls to start sitting...

 

[Oregon Blues]

Just curious. What are you going to do with all those ducklings?

You won't have much luck with eggs stored 21 days. I suggest you eat the eggs as they are laid up until about 6 days before your incubators will be available. Then start storing. Keep in a cool place, turn twice a day. 50 degrees to store is just about perfect, if you can manage it.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

They just won't keep that long to successfully incubate. I am with OB though, what do you plan todo with so many guinea fowl and ducklings? Just because they ARE fertile, doesn't mean they should all be incubated. Eat them, bake with them, give them away.

 

[Darkjeweler]

I am planning on keeping a few of each for around the house.. The rest I was going to sell. The local feed store buys generic ducklings for $2, rare ducklings for up to $5 ea, and guinea keets for $3ea... It is about time the birds started paying for their own feed,, lol..

 

[Pam Dahle]

Does anyone know how to store chicken eggs before you put them into the incubator so they will aall hatch around the same time?