Where to store hatching eggs?

[Godiva]

I am wanting to know where you all store your hatching eggs to keep them cool? THe refrigerator is too cold and the house is too warm? What do you do? Ideas anyone?

 

[silkiechicken]

I just store them in the house on the first floor. The temperature is set to 75 in the summer and 68 in the winter.

 

[speckledhen]

This summer was so hot that even my eternally cool concrete block bsmt was too warm. I took my large cooler, put two of those big blue ice packs on the bottom, covered it with a towel and put an egg carton on top. I had a third ice pack and morning and night would change out the most defrosted one with a new one from the freezer. It kept the eggs about 59-65 degrees, plenty cool enough for incubating.

 

[mdbucks]

I have another question(and it's on topic this time)

If I had a broody hen and she was waiting for her clutch to number 10-12, where would she be storing the eggs?? Why is it necessary to keeep them cooler than room temp????

 

[speckledhen]

It depends on your room temp. I don't use central air conditioning and my house was in the 80's this summer. I collect these to send to other people and it's a precaution so they could not start developing. I do bring them to room temp before packaging them to be mailed out on Mondays. It's a valid question, but I don't allow a broody hen to collect eggs in the nest myself. I would gather the ones I want hatched and if one is broody, she'll get the ones I give her.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Quote:
Yes, I find it interesting to read about room temps as well. I know during the spring/summer most broody hens keep thier eggs in a nesting box or hidden somewhere. I am just cruious as to why room temp is what you do but not a broody hen?

Is it for shippping purposes?

PS speckledhen, do you ship your Blue Orpingtons chicks?? Or just eggs?

 

[mdbucks]

Question #2 (slightly off topic) When do you know a hen is going broody? does she just start protecting her eggs or where her eggs would be if you had left them, and if that is so do you at that time put the eggs under her that you want incubated(i know not right term) I assume she will go broody whether she has enough eggs when her body tells her that enough eggs SHOULD be there?

 

[speckledhen]

I have only had one broody hen since I've owned chickens and she's been broody twice. The first time I didn't even own a rooster. The second time, the rooster hadn't gotten it right yet, so hers were not fertile. I put a couple of eggs from another hen under her so I wouldn't have to break her up and she hatched them in May.
I store the eggs in a safest manner possible till shipping. I suppose if I had hens that had broody tendencies and knew their eggs were fertile, I could allow them to stay in the nest. I just haven't had broodies except one Buff Orp.
wooden pony, I haven't even hatched any Blue Orp chicks and with egg orders for weeks on end, I may not unless I hatch some over the winter, LOL. I do mail out their eggs, however.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

wooden pony, I haven't even hatched any Blue Orp chicks and with egg orders for weeks on end, I may not unless I hatch some over the winter, LOL. I do mail out their eggs, however.

Oh WOW, you do not even have some of your own Blue Chicks??

Well if you hatch some over the winter send me an email

They look BEAUTIFUL!! Wouldn't mind giving a few of them a nice home

 

[mdbucks]

Quote:
I know the answer, she doesn't ship chicks she owns stock in all the little giant incubator company and keeps bringing Squede out so everyone will buy one.

Then you have to get in line to get his eggs