# How long can hatching eggs be stored?



## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

I purchased a 2008 cock at our fundraiser auction that flew close to 2,000 miles in his YB season winning 4 diplomas. Well he didn't fill any eggs so I gave him to someone else to see if it would work with them. Now I have this great hen that I won't get to try this year, so it'll be two years of feeding her and nothing to show for it! But I was thinking of letting another one of my paired up cocks mate with her and putting the eggs away someplace till I get a pair of pigeons to lay and I'll switch out the eggs. I know in quail and chickens one can store eggs for like 10-14 days, I am wondering if I can put these eggs away and have success with that? Either way I think it'll be a good idea for me to try it.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

yes you can hold eggs till you get a foster pair, fertility goes down after about a week. hold them in a cool place with the small end down and turn them a few times a day.

The problem with letting one of your cock birds mate with her is that she may not want to mate with him..they are not a pair.. does she not have a partner of her own by now since she has been there for two years? so this let mate thing maybe will be more time consuming than you think..they just don't mate with whomever because you want them too. but then again.. if she is single it may take her inside an hour to accept him..lol..


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## copper (Aug 25, 2010)

I've never had any luck with egg's that were older then 7 day's old. Egg's should be turned every day and should be stored in a temperature of approximately 55 degrees, no cooler. If eggs are stored at a temperature of approximately 70 degrees or warmer they will start to incubate, become weak and die.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

I have had her for a year, but if I were to not get anything from her this spring then it I'd have to wait 2 years to try her. I got rid of the cock she was paired with because he did not fill the eggs. Yes I do figure it will take time for this to go down so that way the timing might be good enough for me to not have to store them and then be able to just foster them under another pair!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

First To Hatch said:


> I have had her for a year, but if I were to not get anything from her this spring then it I'd have to wait 2 years to try her. I got rid of the cock she was paired with because he did not fill the eggs. Yes I do figure it will take time for this to go down so that way the timing might be good enough for me to not have to store them and then be able to just foster them under another pair!


put her in with the pair where the cock you want to breed is and they may make a trio.. if so, get everyone on fake eggs... then pull all the fake eggs at the same time..all your pairs should lay again close to the same frame and you would have foster pairs to use.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

not exactly sure what cock i want to use most of my pairs are on their 2nd round 1 week old babies, i have a handful on the first round only


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

*Hatching egg storage period*

Information from a Mississippi State University web site. Pigeon eggs are not mentioned, so you'd probably want to use the 1 week time period.


Hatching egg storage period

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 can be kept to a minimum. It is recommended that most eggs be stored no longer than 1 week. Storing eggs longer will produce a greater incidence of hatching failures.

The maximum storage period for chickens is about 3 weeks. Some turkey eggs will survive for 4 weeks, but quail will have difficulty developing from eggs stored longer than 2 weeks.

Hatching eggs should be collected soon after lay and maintained at 50-65o F. The eggs must not warm to above 65o F. unless they are being prepared for immediate incubation. Relative humidity in the storage facility should be maintained at 70 percent 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.


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