How long can I store fertile hatching eggs before they must be incubated?
Eggs saved for hatching are very perishable and their viability is greatly affected by the quality of storage conditions. If properly stored, the number of hatching failures are kept to a minimum. It is recommended that most eggs be stored no longer than one week. Storing eggs longer produces a greater incidence of hatching failures. The maximum storage period for chickens is about three weeks. Some turkey eggs will survive for four weeks, but quail will have difficulty developing from eggs stored longer than two weeks. Collect hatching eggs soon after lay and maintain them at 50-65oF. The eggs must not warm to above 65oF. unless they are being prepared for immediate incubation. Maintain relative humidity in the storage facility at 70% and daily egg turning or repositioning is recommended to prevent the yolk from sticking to the inside surface of the shell. Refer to one of the incubation related publications listed previously for a more thorough discussion on hatching egg storage. Retu
