Collecting eggs

[ZoomuKeeper]

How long have some of you kept eggs before you put them in the incubator?

 

[paxfarms]

I've never collected for more than 8 days.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

I've collected for 10 days, but best hatching were about a week or less old. hope this helps. Older eggs seem to have more quitters I think, at least mine do.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

I mark the date I collect on the end of each egg, so I don't get them mixed up and can then tell which dates hatched best. just a thought.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

I mark the date I collect on the end of each egg, so I don't get them mixed up ad can then tell which dates hatched best. just a thought.

 

[ChickenGrass]

The oldest eggs I will use when hatching are 10 days old, but I like having them under 7 days old if possible.
I normally mark the egg with the date I collected it, which helps me know how old they are when I am setting them.

After 10 days, the chances of the egg developing drops quite a bit.

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

I do the same. I mark the date on the eggs as I get them. Some say no more than 4 days old, some say up to 10. It is great to have a forum like this so others can see what is working for others. Also please list how you store them and an approximate temperature before you actually set them. I have people ask me this all the time and what works for me may not work for them.

 

[cmom]

I have been putting a tray in the incubator weekly so what ever I collect from the breeding coops go in once a week.

 

[Bonniebooboo]

I try to store mine at about 55 degrees. this year I put them on the turner so it would work turning them for me, instead of me running out there 2-3 times a day to turn the eggs. I set the turner on a box on the floor and laid a thermometer on it, then on top of the eggs so I could check the temp down there. It stayed pretty well at 55 sometimes up just a little. I had a pretty good hatch out of that. 34 out of 42 I think. 2 quitters and others not fertile.