Trader Joe's Fertile Eggs - Started 8/11/12

We are just about to integrate the last of this springs chicks, to my husbands delight, but I can't stop thinking about hatching store bought eggs!

We don't have an incubator, but we DO have a very broody little bantam that I think will make a great mother.

Sooooo while my husband was at work my son and I went to Trader Joe's and bought a dozen fertile eggs.




My son used "the force" to choose the 6 eggs he though had the best chance of hatching. We only used 6 since the chicken whose going to sit on them in fairly small.

Looks like they were packaged on 220 (that means Aug 7th right?) So they were only 4days old when I bought them.
I put the date on them, let them come up to room temperature (I didn't think the hen would sit on them of they were refrigerator cold) took all the other eggs out of the coop and put these 6 in Little Browns favorite Nesting box.




As of this afternoon she has been sitting on them for 24hours. I offered her some food today and she hopped off the eggs, went out to the run, took a poop and had some food and water then got right back on the eggs.
She is serious about this experiment!

I realize our chances are pretty slim that they will hatch but I thought it would be a fun and educational thing for our family.
I didn't candle any of them, nor do I think I will. It will only make me crazy. I think I will just watch and wait.

Any thoughts? Advice?

More pictures to come! Thanks

As long as they weren't handled roughly, I've heard other people have hatch refridgerator eggs. I have too, I asked my friend for some barred rock eggs to hatch and she gave me some. I found out after incubation they had been in the refridgerator for a couple of days. I would be so anxious to simply find out what breed they are going to be. Very cool.

Yeah - very curious about breed. From other post I've read it might be a good idea to candle at some point so I don't end up with an explosive stink bomb. Also not sure about separating her. She seems to be defending the box just fine and I'd hate to upset her.

It's hard to tell by the look on her face, but I've never seen her happier. I knew she would be DEDICATED!
Still there every time I check, only getting up once an evening to eat and void.
I gave her some food and water tonight so she wouldn't have to go outside to get nourishment.

tlcmama said:

As of this afternoon she has been sitting on them for 24hours. I offered her some food today and she hopped off the eggs, went out to the run, took a poop and had some food and water then got right back on the eggs.
She is serious about this experiment!

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LOL, sounds great! I'm on day 14, one more week to go! I hope my 6 will hatch I'm looking forward to having hens and eggs! They will be my first chickens ever! I'm using a home made incubator and if I'm successful, I'm going to buy some cute Serama eggs, and try my luck?? She looks so sweet in that picture, what a good mama!!

They should be either white leghorns or more likely, California whites, which are a hybrid of a "California grey" which is a white leghorn and a Barred Rock, I think female/male in that order, then the male off spring of that, called a California Grey, is bred with another white Leghorn. Supposedly they are sweeter than White leghorns. California Whites are not supposed to breed true. If you see any black spots on your chickens later, then they're Californaia White offspring. That's what I've read in my research, but like you, I've got to wait and see for myself

Please join the Trader Joe's thread, I'm talking to myself over there I'm so lonely!

Okay so I snuck out this evening and put the O-------X on each egg - hug--------kiss
so I can make sure our first time mommy is turning the eggs

Planning on attempting to candle (despite what I said before) on day 7
then move her to her own brooding space on day 14.

While she is away I will integrate the last 3 "babies" from April into the rest of the flock
Figured that would be a good time so it doesn't stress momma out
My husband was so happy to get them off the back porch I thought he was going to pick me up and spin me around
(no easy task I assure you)
Great plan huh!? Don't worry something major will go wrong!

Well, sometimes a plan falls together, or else that saying would never have come to being. "I love it when a plan comes together".... wait a second, that was TV wasn't it?

cluck-cluck said:

Well, sometimes a plan falls together, or else that saying would never have come to being. "I love it when a plan comes together".... wait a second, that was TV wasn't it?

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The "A Team". You're aging yourself

LOL, I was already old back then! LOL

Anxious to read your progress. I just set a dozen under my Jersey Giant. Purchased them today and the number was 226. With luck their only 5 days old. Enjoy by date is 9/5.