Fertile eggs can be kept at room temp or a bit cooler (but not in the fridge!) for up to about 2 weeks, like a hen laying a large clutch of eggs over several days before setting on all of them at once. They will stay happily dormant for quite a while until heat is applied and wakes them up. Once incubation really begins, though, they must be kept warm or will die.
Yeah, I've tried. My hens are slackers. They'll be on the eggs a few days and then get off. Gotta be warm all the time. In the past I just ended up with a bunch of half developed eggs which is good for nothing...except more chicken food lol.
Huh. Well, then an incubator makes sense. We had one when I was a kid and we hatched a bunch of Gamble's quails. We'd put the microphone from our tape recorder against the side of the incubator when it was time for them to hatch and hear the little peeping sounds from inside the eggs. It was very educational to watch them hatch and see them grow up. Good times.
Do it! Or if you have hens, let them hatch them the natural way.
Question, once a fertilized egg is laid, can it be left to go cold for days and not die?
Doesn't it have to be kept warm from the beginning?
I know nothing about this, just asking.
Fertile eggs can be kept at room temp or a bit cooler (but not in the fridge!) for up to about 2 weeks, like a hen laying a large clutch of eggs over several days before setting on all of them at once. They will stay happily dormant for quite a while until heat is applied and wakes them up. Once incubation really begins, though, they must be kept warm or will die.
I was told eggs are best used within a week for better fertility return. My last batch I did I went up to a week old and did alright.
Very interesting. Thanks.
Yeah, I've tried. My hens are slackers. They'll be on the eggs a few days and then get off. Gotta be warm all the time. In the past I just ended up with a bunch of half developed eggs which is good for nothing...except more chicken food lol.
Huh. Well, then an incubator makes sense. We had one when I was a kid and we hatched a bunch of Gamble's quails. We'd put the microphone from our tape recorder against the side of the incubator when it was time for them to hatch and hear the little peeping sounds from inside the eggs. It was very educational to watch them hatch and see them grow up. Good times.