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Will these eggs hatch?

Discussion in 'Quail' started by beakmaster, Mar 18, 2013.

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  1. Mar 18, 2013 #1
    beakmaster

    beakmaster Chirping

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    I put a bunch of eggs in my refrigerator and later put them in my incubator. I read that you could store eggs in a fridge but with the eggs already in incubate, I put a thermometer in my fridge and the temp was 38 degrees. Is this too cold for eggs? I had them in there for about 5 days at the most, some were less. I have no candling light so maybe y'all know a free/easy way to candle eggs. Thanks much!
     

  4. Mar 19, 2013 #2
    Mahonri

    Mahonri Urban Desert Chicken Enthusiast Premium Member

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    You may get lucky and hatch one or two.

    I've hatched a few eggs that had set in a fridge for a week.

    But I was lucky.

    yeah, 38 is too cold.
     
  6. Mar 19, 2013 #3
    TwoCrows

    TwoCrows Show me the way old friend Staff Member

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    You are pushing your luck with refrigerated fertile eggs. You probably won't get any to hatch having gotten so cold.
     
  8. Mar 20, 2013 #4
    cmfarm

    cmfarm Songster

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    I have hatched quite a few chicks from refrigerated eggs, so I don't see why not. I would get around 65% hatch rate.
     
  10. Mar 20, 2013 #5
    Old Rando

    Old Rando Songster

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    For several years I have hatched only refrigerated chicken eggs with about 90% success rate. I started doing this after reading of several chicken breeders that hatched hundreds of eggs yearly using this method with great success. . Heat is the enemy of fertile eggs not cold. This made sense to me. Bacteria and decomposition occurs in warm not cold temperatures. Eggs that are intended for eating are refrigerated to preserve them longer while room temperature eggs will degenerate quicker. Hatcheries also keep their eggs cool before hatching. Chicken eggs have been shown to be quite viable as long as they don't freeze

    I have never tried quail eggs that were refrigerated yet but I will this summer. Maybe it won't work with quail eggs but I don't know why their eggs would be more delicate to cooler temperatures than chickens which are a descendant of a tropical species.
     

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