Refridgerated fertile egg question

[wbruder17]

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Yes, thank you. I know what to look for in cracked fertile eggs, but I haven't cracked any of these yet. I'm just going on the fact that I've seen my roo with those girls. The eggs I put under my broody hen are from the only hens I've seen him cover, so that's where my question comes from.

Also, he is a Little Guy and the ladies are both full size and banty. He seems to cover the hens just fine, and spends a decent amount of time in the "lovemaking" process, so I'm pretty sure he's getting the job done.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Unless they were mail ordered all of my hatching eggs get refrigerated while I'm building a setting. I try to keep them to under ten days old, preferably under a week, and I typically get better than 90% hatch on my chicken eggs and 85% on my turkey eggs.

I've even set turkey eggs that had been in the fridge for three weeks and still got 50% of them to hatch.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I lost all my chickens except for 3 day before yesterday to 2 dogs that somehow got the gate open. I delivered all the eggs I had in the frig to a wonderful lady who is going to try to hatch them in her incubator. Everybody pray!! I took her 18 eggs from my SLW's who just started laying in June, and about 8 from my year old BO's and RIR's. They will be a cross with my SLW roo. I have no idea bow many days they were in the frig, some just 1-2 days, some maybe longer. She said she would candle them in 10 days...I can't wait!

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

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Wow, best wishes to you!!! I just put locks on both gates to the backyard a week or two ago. I just keep hearing about dogs killing chickens, and it really worried me. I do see strays here.

 

[wbruder17]

I must have the best dogs ever (unbeknownst to me a lot of the time) because I have 3 "hunting breeds"... a black labb/german shepherd X, a dalmation/pit bull X, and a chihuahua/ jack russel x.... and the birds all free range in the yard with the dogs. The big ones couldnt care less about the birds but to eat some of their poop, and the littlun likes to chase the birds, but never bites.

I even put quail chicks on their heads and they don't do a thing.