Ameraucana Forum
The Official Ameraucana Forum => Housing, Health & Hatching => Topic started by: Beth Curran on February 27, 2017, 12:08:36 PM
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Just curious how and where people store hatching eggs. It is a challenge here, since garage & outbuildings temperatures are usually well above the recommended 55 degrees and there are no basements/cellars. I tried a small "dorm" refrigerator once but even at the highest setting it was still too cold. About the best I can manage is an air conditioned room that hovers just under 70 degrees. I suspect this has a lot to do with my hatching issues. Thoughts?
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The temperature of your egg storage room should be between 55 & 68 degrees (55 - 60 is better if only setting once per week) with a relative humidity between 75 & 80% according to the University of Georgia's Quality Control Procedures for the Hatchery (http://animalsciencey.ucdavis.edu/avian/qualconproc.pdf).
I printed page 4 of the article (see link below) and posted it in my egg storage room for a reference.
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My problem is achieving those temps. I don't have the kind of heating/cooling system that allows for different temperatures in different rooms so if I take the a/c any lower Mike's going to start pushing back! ;) The dorm fridge stayed below 50 degrees at the warmest setting, so that was out. Thought about using a cooler with an ice pack but that doesn't seem practical for maintaining a consistent temperature. I don't do the volume to justify a shed with a window unit, but I thought about adding a vent to a small space, like a closet, that might get cooler than other rooms.
Right now, stored low to the ground in my coolest room, I'm reading 67.5 degrees w/75% humidity, just barely in range.
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If a room with AC can keep the eggs 68 or cooler than that sounds like the way you have to go. AC draws moisture out of the room, so I suggest placing the eggs, in trays, on top a pan of water to keep the humidity as high as possible as close to the eggs as possible. Don't place them directly in front of a fan or circulating air that may dry them too much. Also, consider setting twice a week since the recommended range up to 68 degrees is for eggs that aren't 7 or more days old. The 55 to 60 degree range is for eggs stored for a week or longer.