storing hatching eggs

[calihawker]

Hello again!
Thanks so much for this awesome forum!
My first set of breeders are laying like crazy and I'm ready to start collecting my own eggs for hatching. I'm getting between 10 to15 eggs per day so I need to collect for about a week then start incubation. What's the best way to keep these eggs? Do they need to be turned. How about temps?

Thanks!

 

[Denninmi]

The optimal storage conditions would be about 55 to 60 degrees with about 50% humidity. But, they can tolerate a range -- 45 to about 75, and somewhere between 30 and 60 % humidity should be OK.

Ideally, yes, they should be turned, at least once a day. More frequent gentle turning won't hurt them. If it would work out for, one way might be to just put them in your racks right in the incubator and start the turner but leave the cover off the incubator and don't turn it on. Then put the whole thing in a cool, somewhat humid place (I use the basement).

However, if NONE of that works, be assured they are TOUGH little eggs. I hatched about 60% this spring from eggs that were laid outdoors in mid-March through Easter Sunday. Some had been exposed to temps around 8/9 degrees Fahrenheit, and almost all of them had been exposed to sub-freezing temps. They were fairly dirty, so I washed them all in Brinsea egg wash. I didn't turn them, left them sitting in a bowl in my garage at around 50 to 60 degrees. They were truly used and abused. Had a good hatch rate and the chicks that did hatch were very healthy. Almost no "quitters" -- the ones that didn't hatch were basically just clear --probably frozen out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can't argue with anything Denninmi said.

I'll suggest you read this article. But remember these things are only suggestions or guidelines. They do not guarantee success if you follow them perfectly nor do they guarantee failure if you don't follow them perfectly. They just improve your odds. Just do the best you can.

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

Good luck!

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

If the eggs get over 70 degrees they can start the development process. It is best not to let this happen. Denninmi
suggestion of the egg turner is the method I like to use for turning them while getting ready to set them.

 

[joe125]

Oh...just store them up on your counter, and turn them if you like. Why people fret over a day here, a day there and +/-5-10 deg. at any humidity is beyond me.

 

[calihawker]

Thanks for the replies. The temp thing is the hard part especially with the 100+ temps we're gonna have this week. Even with AC the house won't be that cool.