How long can you store hatching eggs???

[Amy's Animals]

For how long can you store hatching eggs and have them still be viable??? I'm assuming that depends on storage methods, lets say a little below room temp with an approx humidity of 50.

 

[Julie08]

you should not store longer then 7 days hatchability does decline by about 50% after 7 days. The max you should hold them is 10 days. The fresher the better.

 

[bigstack]

You really don't want to wait longer than 4-5 days. I have hatched some 9 days old and did really well. It does depend on temp and humidity. DO NOT store below 50 degrees!!! I would just keep them around 65-70! After 7 days they really begin to decline in hatch rate. I have heard of some waiting 10-14 days but you really are gambling at that time!

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[Ridgerunner]

This article gives great advice on storing hatching eggs plus I think it is a great read before you start incubating eggs. Lots of other good advice.

Texas A&M Incubation site
http://gallus.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf

Although it says you really don't need to start turning the eggs immediately, turnng them won't hurt anything. If you have a turner for your incubator, you can remove, plug it in, and store your hatching eggs in it. That way you don't have to remember to turn them plus you are not handling the eggs as much, taking the chance you will introduce bacteria or otherwise contaminate the eggs with oily or dirty hands.

 

[haTHOR]

i think the bottom line is use the freshest eggs you have. i had room in my incubator after i had put in the freshest 7 days worth, so i went ahead and put in the rest of what i had been storing to hatch but that i thought were a bit old...so some were 10-12 days. i'm on day 12 and some of those--most of those--are still growing. i don't know what will happen, of course,but they made it this far!

i've talked to some folks on here who swear they have hatched out 30 day old eggs and got hatch rates as good as fresh. my temp is a bit warmer than the recommended low so i doubt i could do that...i'm in an apt. and we don't really have a cool spot.

so...put in the freshest you can...doesn't hurt to try to hatch eggs up to 2 weeks old, is what i have found. depends on how full you want your bator to be!

 

[Amy's Animals]

Thank you all for replying.
The eggs I'm talking about are from my silkie and I want to hatch out about a dozen and unfortunately, I don't always get an egg every day. I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. And yes, they are in my turner right now.
Thanks again

 

[Julie08]

collect until you get a dozen and put them all it, can't hurt, the older ones might just suprise you.