Interesting findings

[Vrex]

After reading many posts regarding not incubating pullet eggs, I thought I would try to store them and incubate them.  I have a pair of chucker and a trio of ringnecks that have become somewhat pets.  I started collecting the eggs and after storing them for as long as 28 days I decided to incubate them.  I put in 14 chucker and 23 pheasant eggs.  I set them in shipping cartons and manually turned them once a day by turning them upside down.  After the first week I candled them and noticed that 3 of the eggs were unfertile.  I broke 2 more eggs in the turning process.  Yesterday was hatch day,  all 12 chuckers hatched and seem to be healthy. 16 of the 20 pheasant eggs hatched, 1 is pipping now and the other 3 are sitting idle.  I did not change any setting on my incubator because I have it full of quail and chucker eggs.  That was 3 times the hatch rate I was getting from the lg foam incubators using fresh eggs that only sat as long as 3 days.  One thing I forgot to mention, the 4 eggs that have not hatched I took out of the shipping carton and laid on there sides in the hatcher the rest were pointed large end up and in the carton.  As soon as my quail and chucker hatch I am going to try the same thing with BW eggs.  Just thought it was interesting.

Mike

[CharlieHorse]

I started collecting the eggs and after storing them for as long as 28 days I decided to incubate them.

 

Did you store them in any sort of controlled enviroment as far as temp and humidity are concerned?
Thanks for the info!

 

JFI:

Holding hatching eggs for longer periods of time can be desirable, as older eggs require a longer incubation period. Occasionally, breeders want to save eggs for longer periods, particularly at the beginning or the end of the season. However, if eggs held for two or more weeks are set along with fresher eggs, the older eggs shoud be allowed extra incubation time: they should be preset. Eggs held for three weeks require about eighteen hours of extra time.
       Reynnells et al. (1977) found that coturnix and bobwhite eggs stored for longer that fourteen and twenty-five days, respectively, at temperatures of 78 to 82f (26 to 28c) failed to hatch, whereas comparable groups of eggs from the two species held under temperatures of 59 to 61f (15 to 16c) hatched at rates ranging from 70 to 80 percent.

Quote taken from here:  http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/index.php?topic=3112.0

[Vrex]

I have never read that posting, I was always under the impression that 2 weeks was max time for egg life.  I have one of those mini referigerators that I put a different thermostat in.  The temp varies from 52 to 60 degrees with around 65% humidity.  I just use one of those digital thermo and hydro thingy mabobs.  After reading that post 3 of the eggs still may hatch, I believe the fourth one perrished during the hatching process.

Thanks for the thread.
Mike