what is the lowest temp that a duck egg can be and not harm the embryo

-- RAY THUR (sage7010@aol.com), April 15, 2001

Answers

I had rouen ducks hatch out this weekend and I kept the eggs in a room out back of the house and the temps were down into the 30's at night. They say 55-65 is the best temp to keep them at. I had only 3 out of 8 hatch, 2 pipped but died before they could make it out. Don't know if that was the reason on too low of temps. I don't think there is a definate answer to your question. I had chicken eggs that I hatched out last spring that were over 4 weeks old, but then our June temps were pretty close to the 55-65 so who knows. I'd say if your eggs were below freezing for a length of time then they might not be fertile. Give them a week in the incubator and you'll know soon enough. Good luck.

-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), April 18, 2001.

I have a friend who keeps all her poultry eggs in the fridge while she's collecting them ~ a week to 10 days ~ before she puts them in the 'bator. She says she's had better hatches since doing this.

I use hens to do my hatching! I've had clutches sit outside up to 3 weeks, with some nights in the teens/twenties, before a hen decided to sit. All the eggs hatched.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 19, 2001.