collecting eggs for incubation

[CarolynEarley]

We live in Crete and have free range chickens. Everyday I try to collect the eggs as quickly as possible as the weather is hot and even though the nesting boxes are in the shade the temperatures are in 30s this time of year. On the days that we are out all day I have been thought that the eggs that have been laid would probably be no good for incubating as, although we had lots of nesting baskets, the hens have favourite ones and will sit on each others eggs to lay theirs. This means that the eggs that have been laid may have been sat on in succession for 5-6 hours and I am worried that the eggs may have started to gestate and then stopped when collected making them no good to start off again in the incubator. I am right about this or does it take longer than than to get going? In fact how long the eggs could be left under hens and still be viable for the incubator? 05

 

[Chuck]

Shouldn't make any difference as the same happens here and mine hatch.

 

[E3lx]

should still work...

 

[4x4cos]

im no expert but as long as the egg does not go over 39 oc then should be still good as far as im aware if you had a broody hen sit on the eggs for 10 days and you then incubate at correct temp straight away ie less than 30 min from hen to incubator then there will be no affect if all good fertile etc will hatch hpe this helps