HOW DO "YOU" STORE YOUR FERTILE EGGS?

[Lazy Farmer]

I am always looking for improvements as far as increased hatch rates. No matter if it will be performed by my trusty broody hens or my climate controlled incubators. No matter the method I choose, I feel that if my eggs are stored correctly while I am waiting for enough inventory to place into or under my chosen method of hatch, my yield will be greater.

Currently I am storing my slowly but surely collected eggs in a large Styrofoam cooler with an ice pack that is swapped out daily.
I have my eggs in a flat. The flat is on a tilt from me placing an empty egg carton on one side of the cooler.
View media item 7893539I will tilt the egg flat in the opposite direction by spinning it around backwards. I repeat this procedure a few times a day.
Depending on how busy I am but the tilt is changed opposite no less than 4 times a day.
View media item 7893540I also placed a plastic carton under the ice pack to catch the condensation from the melting pack along with a thermometer to monitor the changes if they are drastic. Since we live in Florida and our weather changes are so unpredictable.
The thermometer stays between 55° - 62° F for the most part.
I set them no later than 8 days anymore.
What can I do to improve this method?
And how do you store your fertile eggs?
I am looking forward to learn from examples of other enthusiasts.
Thank you in advance.
Farmer Connie.
North Central Fl.​

 

[PD-Riverman]

You sound as though you have a good set-up. I store my eggs by tilting like you but I do not use ice packs. I just have the eggs in my AC-ed home---on the floor. I try to set by 10 days but have waited a little longer, BUT most of the time it is 7 days(once a week). I have real good hatch rates. I do mark the eggs, date, breed, pen # so if I end up with alot not fertile from one pen--I know where to go to adjust.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

You sound as though you have a good set-up. I store my eggs by tilting like you but I do not use ice packs. I just have the eggs in my AC-ed home---on the floor. I try to set by 10 days but have waited a little longer, BUT most of the time it is 7 days(once a week). I have real good hatch rates. I do mark the eggs, date, breed, pen # so if I end up with alot not fertile from one pen--I know where to go to adjust.

I ice pack because we keep our A/C during day hours at 82 degrees. At night around 79°. Costs too much any lower. The heat index has been 100 and anything lower than 80 makes the unit run almost continuously. With no one in the home to enjoy the air.
Before the ice pack the eggs were stored in the 80's and our hatch rate was not as high since we tweaked the temp a bit cooler. Also we would use eggs 10 to 12 day old. Cut back to 8 days and a truly significant difference.
Anyway... Thanks for the reply.. Take care..

 

[PD-Riverman]

I ice pack because we keep our A/C during day hours at 82 degrees. At night around 79°. Costs too much any lower. The heat index has been 100 and anything lower than 80 makes the unit run almost continuously. With no one in the home to enjoy the air.
Before the ice pack the eggs were stored in the 80's and our hatch rate was not as high since we tweaked the temp a bit cooler. Also we would use eggs 10 to 12 day old. Cut back to 8 days and a truly significant difference.
Anyway... Thanks for the reply.. Take care..

I believe in doing what works for your situation, my wife is in the house most of the time--the AC is on about 72/74 so I do not need Ice packs---LOL. I come in---clothes damp---I about freeze. Good Luck with your hatches!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I collect my eggs, mark them and just set them in a plastic egg flat on top of my cabinet incubator until they're ready to go in (usually every 7 days since I set on Fridays). I don't bother to turn them or worry about temperature but then again, most of my hatching is January through May. I always have excellent hatch rates. It would be a bit of a pain to try to tien them since I trends to get at least 3 flats full stacked on top of each other and sometimes more lol.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I collect my eggs, mark them and just set them in a plastic egg flat on top of my cabinet incubator until they're ready to go in (usually every 7 days since I set on Fridays). I don't bother to turn them or worry about temperature but then again, most of my hatching is January through May. I always have excellent hatch rates. It would be a bit of a pain to try to tien them since I trends to get at least 3 flats full stacked on top of each other and sometimes more lol.

Thank you for your input.
Is that a Broad Breasted Bronze Tom for your avatar?
We bought a few last year and found out the tom is incapable of reproducing in that breed without artificial means. Do you breed BBB Turkeys?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Mine go into an egg carton left open right on the counter for collection until it's time to set them all. House is 65-70F. Use to turn them and still do if the collection is longer than two weeks set them in the auto turner next to incubator and plug it in.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Mine go into an egg carton left open right on the counter for collection until it's time to set them all. House is 65-70F. Use to turn them and still do if the collection is longer than two weeks set them in the auto turner next to incubator and plug it in.

Wow! I have auto turners I don't use anymore. I am going to unbox one and put it in my cooler. Awesome!!!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Thank you for your input.
Is that a Broad Breasted Bronze Tom for your avatar?
We bought a few last year and found out the tom is incapable of reproducing in that breed without artificial means. Do you breed BBB Turkeys?

No, Romeo is a heritage mottled black. I've never had any of the broad breasted but I do breed heritage