Time frame to incubate eggs?

[Dilly]

What is the trime frame you have or window of opportunity to incubate an egg after it is laid? Do you have to start incubation immediately or is it 24 hours 48 hrs- 72 hrs. Or longer?

 

[Barnyard]

The eggs should be ok for about 7 to 10 day's as long as they are in a cool place, after that your hatch rate will decline.

 

[Dilly]

Thank you and miss prissy, I asked this in another post and then placed it here where it should of been.

That is why people can safely ship eggs. I always wondered how long one had prior to the eggs not being viable.

Okay here is another stupied question, plese bear with me.

I know you do not need a chicken to have eggs, but if you want fertile eggs to hatch, do you need a rooster? I know we ladies need our fella's.

 

[Barnyard]

Oh yes ma'am! You got to have a roo to get little chicks!!

 

[John T]

I know you do not need a chicken to have eggs, but if you want fertile eggs to hatch, do you need a rooster? I know we ladies need our fella's.

It is nice to be needed​

 

[Dilly]

Okay, so I have my six pretend hens, and I have a rooster. Okay I am just going to ask .. Do they have sex in order for the eggs to be fertile or is it just having a rooster aorund that gets the job done. I have never seen chickens doing the deed.

Lets say we move past this and I have my six pretend hens and lively rooster. I gather eggs and decided to incubate and see what I get. How do I know which eggs are fertile and which are not. Do I assume that the rooster is taking care of all the ladies?

WOW talk to me about horses, cows, dogs whatever but when it comes to chicken sex I have not a clue.

 

[Barnyard]

Quote:

Yes they have to do the deed so the eggs will be fertile.

I would reccommend once your pretend hens start laying to crack a couple of the eggs and look for the bulls eye on the egg. If it is there then they are fertile if it is just a ring then it is not fertile.

1 rooster can service up to 10 hens

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Chickens are just like any other animal have to have mating to occur for fertility...

Only way to tell if the rooster is mating with the hens is to either crack open the eggs on a plate one by one and look for the bulleye and fertile disc... or incubate and candle at day 7...

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

You can keep your eggs up to 14 days. Around 10 days the hatch rate starts to decline. Just make sure to keep them in a cool room and turn them daily to prevent the microscopic mebrane from sticking to the wall of the egg.