holding eggs to put under broody hen

[Michele]

What is the best way to keep fertile eggs to be used for hatching? I
want to be ready when one of my two bantam hens goes broody so I have
been keeping their eggs in a styrofoam carton in the kitchen instead
of putting them in the refrigerator. Temperature in our kitchen
ranges from 65 to low 70s. I turn the eggs twice a day, and I keep a
little bit of water in each cup because we're in the desert (I moved)
so our humidity is really low. I'm going to hold only six at a time,
cycling out the older ones, so generally the eggs being held longest
will be three days old.

What do I need to change?

Thanks, Michele

[Dennis]

That really sounds like a good plan to me. I would be worried about the
humidity though. Not sure if a cup of water is sufficient. For just 3
days, the temp should be fine.

Dennis.

[Kathleen]

I've held them for as long as 7 days, but our humidity in Texas is a bit higher.

I'm in South Central.

The MAIN thing I would change is the carton type.

Styrofoam does not breath well.  I always used paper/cardboard cartons.

You could put a damp towel under the carton for humidity?

I got a good hatch rate on bantam eggs doing that.  Temperature in the house

was generally around 75 degrees F. I also flipped the carton upside down/right

side up a couple of times per day. I think your cooler temp. is better. ;-)

--
Peace,
Kat'
--
"There is no snooze alarm on a cat that wants breakfast!"  -- Anon

Web Albums:
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[imcco...@ec.rr.com]

Watch Mother Nature
I have some free range Key West chickens that will hide out a nest and lay 20 to 25 eggs in it. Most of the hens hatch the bulk of the eggs. After seeing this happen time after time I save eggs for as long as 3 weeks. I keep the eggs in paper cartons on the counter and rock the cartons from side to side 2 or 3 times a day. I have 2 yard sticks glued together and cut in half so I have 4 sticks. I rock the cartons from side to side by moving the sticks. The hatch rates are 80+% under hens or in the incubator.
--
Iona McCormick
Quiet Place Farm
Jacksonville, NC USA

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[Barry Koffler]

Standard practice is 2 weeks, with somewhat reduced fertility to 3 weeks. Keep in cool place in egg carton with end raised. Switch ends daily. I wouldn't worry about humidity til in incubator. Too much chance of bacterial infection if end of egg is in water.

On Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 7:58 PM, Michele <miche...@gmail.com> wrote:

What is the best way to keep fertile eggs to be used for hatching?  I
want to be ready when one of my two bantam hens goes broody so I have
been keeping their eggs in a styrofoam carton in the kitchen instead
of putting them in the refrigerator.  Temperature in our kitchen
ranges from 65 to low 70s.  I turn the eggs twice a day, and I keep a
little bit of water in each cup because we're in the desert (I moved)
so our humidity is really low.   I'm going to hold only six at a time,
cycling out the older ones, so generally the eggs being held longest
will be three days old.

What do I need to change?

Thanks, Michele

--
Peace,
Kat'
--
"There is no snooze alarm on a cat that wants breakfast!"  -- Anon

Web Albums:
<http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
<http://picasaweb.google.com/home?tab=mq>

 

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-- 

-Barry

*******************************************************************************************
bar...@feathersite.com Barry Koffler   mid-Hudson Valley, New York
                     the FeatherSite at
                         http://www.feathersite.com
           Lead me not into temptation . . . I can find it myself

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!

"It's called the American Dream 'cause you have to be asleep to believe it." -- George Carlin

I dream of a world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

*******************************************************************************************

[Herita...@aol.com]

Michele,

Stromberg's puts out an excellent booklet on hatching.  It is well worth the money. I have been incubating for years but found new things to learn and utilize from this book.

Pat

 

 

In a message dated 2/20/2013 8:58:14 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, miche...@gmail.com writes:

What is the best way to keep fertile eggs to be used for hatching?  I
want to be ready when one of my two bantam hens goes broody so I have
been keeping their eggs in a styrofoam carton in the kitchen instead
of putting them in the refrigerator.  Temperature in our kitchen
ranges from 65 to low 70s.  I turn the eggs twice a day, and I keep a
little bit of water in each cup because we're in the desert (I moved)
so our humidity is really low.   I'm going to hold only six at a time,
cycling out the older ones, so generally the eggs being held longest
will be three days old.

What do I need to change?

Thanks, Michele

--

[K M Edgar]

Michelle,

You can keep doing what you're doing with the eggs you've been
collecting to place under a broody hen. Eggs can be "motile" for 2-3
weeks prior to the 1st day of incubating....not just 3 days.

Kelly

[Michele Bee]

Thanks very much to everybody who responded with suggestions. I was sure you guys would offer lots of good information, and you came through with excellence. This may be a quiet list, but it's still very much alive.  :-D

Just as a little piece of information, my Sumatra hen that was hatched one week short of a year ago laid her first egg yesterday! She did a lot of scratching around in the nest after making such weird sounds I wondered if she could possibly be broody without ever having laid an egg.

I know it was her first because she lives with three brown-egg-laying hens, and hers is just a tiny bit tinted more than white. It was my first four-egg day from four hens!

Isn't it really unusual for a hen to lay her first egg at a year old?

[Bonnie White]

Just a thought to think on, our chickens and ducks will collect several eggs on their own (in secret), as few as 6 to 30 (remember each are individuals) , I have seen this happen and have super good hatches turn up. So after seeing this in person, I also tried holding over eggs 30 days. Guess what, it worked, I also had a super good hatch in the incubator. I think what the key was for, is that the eggs in the first place were kept VERY cool (55 degrees F) and turned several times throughout the day. So, if a chicken or duck could have such good hatches, so could I (yay). Anyway, like I said, it is something to think on when holding eggs over for ones incubator or to have a hen or duck set on. Just saying.

Bonnie

[K M Edgar]

Last year I sold off ALL of my roosters but my 5 Gamefowl hens were
still laying. I collected a few eggs 2 weeks after the roosters were
gone......set them aside for a few weeks and then put them under a
broody hen to set on for 3 weeks.....and hatched a few chicks....2
months after the roosters were gone.

Kelly in Moxee