http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/how-to-dry-store-rose-hips-rosa-canina
I think rose hips should become red and ripe from mid-September to October. Orange rose hips mean they are not ripe, very deep red means they are overripe. What you need is bright red color. Overripe rose hips lose lots of vitamin C.
Rose hips should be stored in dry,cool place, away form direct sunlight.It's best to store rose hips in air tight containers(if they are properly dried of course).But you may want to store them in well ventilated area after drying (maybe in a cardboard box with holes) for a few weeks to give them time to stiffen. Some people use warm oven to dry them."Just a tip about drying rosehips. You can also dry them in a warm , not hot, oven. Put the whole rose hips in roasting trays about a half inch deep and heat the oven up to about 50 degrees C for about an hour. Leave the oven door ajar (you can hold it open with a tea spoon or folded tea towel) and leave the rose hips in there as the oven cools down. This ensures that the rose hips dry out: be careful they don’t cook. Do this every day for about a week, making sure to shake the rosehips every so often."
It is best NOT to use aluminum pans or utensils because they destroy vitamin C and can discolor the hips. I've heard that stainless steel is fine.
Food dehydrator can also be used or just dry in the shade. Some recommend to dry in the sun, while others say it may destroy vitamin C ( I'm not sure about this one).
I would not use metal containers for storage as vitamin C is destroyed by some metals(and oxygen, heat and light) and some metal containers can give rose hips an off flavor.
Ideally rose hips should be used within 1 year.Stability of vitamin C in dried rose hips was evaluated using photometry and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Results showed that rose hips cut in half loose about 50% of vitamin C in 18 month, powdered rose hips loose 100% of vitamin C in 6 month.
Hole or crushed is up to you. I prefer to offer crushed rose hips to my chins as whole have hairs that irritate chins mouth and one of my chins will not take a whole one, she throws it at me, but loves crushed. Also seeds can get stuck between chins teeth.
Good luck!