Just wondering how long I can collect eggs before they go in the incubator?
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X2people say about a week..but after that they start to loose their fertility....but to be safe I would only collect 4-5 days
yes I have thought about that also...hmm someone needs to do an experiment to just how long eggs can be kept before you incubate..makes since that you could keep them for about a month because when you think about it the first ever chickens did not just set one 3-4 eggs they waited until they had 10-12 and depending on how often they laid it could take like you said 24 days or more to get enough eggs to sit on.I have had good success with incubating eggs as old as 21 days. Most will recommend holding eggs for a far shorter period of time. A lot depends upon how the eggs are stored and handled prior to setting. I always kept my eggs in an earthen cellar - temps around 65 degrees and humidity around 60 % or better. Eggs were kept in clean trays and turned daily. Stop and think about a hen laying a clutch of eggs - an egg every other day until she has a dozen eggs equals 24 days prior to incubation.
There is a wide range of viability between 'home grown' and shipped eggs. Shipped eggs are a crap shoot to begin with. The maximum 10 day rule probably does apply to shipped eggs.