Stupid question... Eggs before incubation...

[mules-n-donkeys]

What do you do with the eggs before you start incubating them? Just collect them and leave them in the house or what? How many days can I store them before the start of incubation?
This is my first time. I've read a bunch of articles about the incubation and turning process, just didn't see anything about the collecting part. I'm going to try to hatch my speckled Sussex eggs in a little giant still air.
Thanks!!

 

[sourland]

I'll tell what has always worked for me. I always stored eggs at approximately 65 degrees F (neither to hot or cool) and approximately 50 % or higher humidity. I would store them in a tray of clean bedding and turn them once daily. I stored eggs as long as 21 days with good % hatches, but most people favor a maximum of 10 to 14 day holding period. Good luck for a successful hatch.

 

[BellyShell]

I collect all week (Fri-Thurs) and set on Fridays. I keep the eggs in a plastic basket on my dresser...average temp in the house is about 77-80 and humidity about 50. I personally only keep eggs a maximum of 12 days if I'm unable to set on Fri. I've hatched shipped eggs successfully in the past as old as 16 days but with our current setup I usually have multiple clutches going in the incubating incubator at once so don't want to risk any egg-plosions ;-) lol.

Good luck and happy hatching!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not a stupid question at all. You can get a lot of details in this article.

Texas A&M Incubation site
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/...e-Cartwright-Incubating-and-hatching-eggs.pdf

Something to remember. These are guidelines, not absolute laws of nature. Following the guidelines perfectly does not guarantee a perfect hatch. Violating them does not guarantee a horrible hatch. Following the guidelines increases your odds of a good hatch, so you should follow them as close as you reasonable can. But don’t obsess about it. Just do the best you can. You will probably be plenty close enough.

Just like the other two posters I don’t follow the guidelines exactly. I don’t have a place to store them that is the perfect temperature and humidity so I just store them in a spare room. Depending on the time of year the temperature is probably between 68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. I take my turner out of the incubator, plug it in, and store the eggs in that, pointy side down. The humidity is what it is.

Something not in that article. A guy that teaches chicken reproduction at one of the top poultry science universities in the country said temperature swings are bad. Try to keep the temperature of the eggs as steady as you can. The eggs cycling warmer them cooler can really reduce the hatch rate. That’s a guideline that is not well known.

Good luck and welcome to this side of the chicken adventure.