Success rate of hatching eggs laid 13 days ago

[ftyong]

I bought some fertile eggs and realized the date marked on more than half of the eggs are 11-13 days ago. They were not washed and I presume they have not been kept in refrigerator. If so, what is the success rate you would predict?

 

[Percheron chick]

Other factors come into play. Were they shipped? Were they turned? How have they been handled? Breeds? Fertility of flock...?
I have hatch my own aged eggs (30+ days, some refrigerated, some sitting on a hot kitchen counter, never consistently turned..) with moderate 20% success. Throw them in the incubator. You will do well if you end up with 33%.

 

[Jennc-123]

I did this when I had to dispatch my rooster. 14 eggs over 12 days, set the 13 (after I dispatched). Stored and rotated properly. Many were porous when set. I had 2 hatch and 2 die on day 20. Both from different days, one at 2 days of collection and the other at the 3rd to last. It is possible and I hope to hear your results.

 

[BGcoop]

What is your reasoning behind wanting to know the predicted hatch rate?
Are you trying to limit how many chicks hatch and would put in less eggs to achieve that if the rate could be predicted high? (What would you do with any eggs not put in-consumption/destruction.) Are you trying to get to a certain number of chicks and would go get more eggs if predicted low? Have you hatched before and what was your hatch rate then?

I also would predict a lower than “normal“ hatch rate, maybe 25ish%? But personally I hatch mostly to get new hens so I guess a hatch rate, then assume about half will be males, and possibly a chick that just doesn’t thrive, and I’m going to want to get a breed to two I haven’t had yet,.....so I have a bad habit of putting in more eggs than I intended to.

 

[ftyong]

Other factors come into play. Were they shipped? Were they turned? How have they been handled? Breeds? Fertility of flock...?
I have hatch my own aged eggs (30+ days, some refrigerated, some sitting on a hot kitchen counter, never consistently turned..) with moderate 20% success. Throw them in the incubator. You will do well if you end up with 33%.

I picked them up from seller. Incubator has turning function, have put them in for first day today. Silkie eggs. I would assume they are all fertilized as the advertisement said.

 

[ftyong]

What is your reasoning behind wanting to know the predicted hatch rate?
Are you trying to limit how many chicks hatch and would put in less eggs to achieve that if the rate could be predicted high? (What would you do with any eggs not put in-consumption/destruction.) Are you trying to get to a certain number of chicks and would go get more eggs if predicted low? Have you hatched before and what was your hatch rate then?

I also would predict a lower than “normal“ hatch rate, maybe 25ish%? But personally I hatch mostly to get new hens so I guess a hatch rate, then assume about half will be males, and possibly a chick that just doesn’t thrive, and I’m going to want to get a breed to two I haven’t had yet,.....so I have a bad habit of putting in more eggs than I intended to.

I am a first timer. I bought half a dozen of freshly laid of another species. This half a dozen is Silkie eggs, when I saw the dates written on the shells I have this question.

 

[ftyong]

I did this when I had to dispatch my rooster. 14 eggs over 12 days, set the 13 (after I dispatched). Stored and rotated properly. Many were porous when set. I had 2 hatch and 2 die on day 20. Both from different days, one at 2 days of collection and the other at the 3rd to last. It is possible and I hope to hear your results.

Noted. Thanks for sharing.

 

[abpatchy]

This spring I hatched eggs that were kept cool and turned once or twice a day...up to 3 weeks old. Of course the hatching rate wasn't like if they would have been fresh. But I still got a good rate. Don't worry about 2 week old eggs. They are fine!

 

[Compost King]

I kept eggs for up to 21 days before hatching, Although I can not claim the best hatch rates due to human error in my earliest hatches however when I started getting 90%+ on my hatch rates I hatched eggs up to 21 day old with no problem. its not ideal and I would never sell hatching eggs that old because who knows how long until someone hatches them. But I have hatched eggs that were too old by most peoples standards. Many factors go into hatching egg storage and 11 to 13 days probably will not factor as much as the other factors.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The commercial hatching industry has developed "ideal" storage conditions for hatching eggs. Around 55* F, high humidity, regular turning, avoid warm up and cool down cycles, things like that. The closer you can meet those the longer the eggs stay viable. To them two weeks is great. After that viability supposedly starts to drop but can remain pretty good for three weeks.

A hen will hide eggs in a nest for two weeks as she lays a clutch and still be able to get great hatches. Those hidden nests are usually on dirt and in shade so conditions aren't that bad, but she does not go back during the day to turn them except when she is laying an egg.

I don't know how close those eggs were stored to ideal conditions. Even if I did I could not predict with any accuracy. You'll know in a few weeks. I wish you good luck.