We just started to get our first eggs....we have 5 hens and 1 rooster all about 15 weeks... So the eggs are small but healthy. However, how do you tell which eggs are fertilized? What should we look out for? Thanks for your insights and advice.
Do you have to candle eggs?
- Thread starter Chickroo
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It doesn't matter if you are just going to eat them. They won't develop unless they are incubated by yourself or a hen. You won't even be able to tell the difference.
If you are going to incubate them and you want to make sure they are fertile, then when you crack one you look at the blastoderm/blastodisc. A fertile egg has a bullseye shaped blastoderm.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/b633/b633_10.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/b633/b633_10.html
Also, if you have 5 hens and 1 roo then they are probably fertile.
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Also, candling is something you do after you have started incubating to check embryo development. If you gather eggs every day and you store your eggs at room temp or cooler then your eggs can't start to develop and there is no need to candle.
- Aug 12, 2013
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I plan on letting my hen do the work. I really don't want to mess with the eggs as she gets upset if I try. So is it OK not to candle?
Are you talking about putting eggs under a broody? I usually am very hands off also, I mark the eggs I give her and pretty much leave her be. If other hens have access to the nest I check for added eggs every day or so. I also do a quick visual and good sniff test of the eggs and nest. I don't candle or otherwise mess with them and usually have great hatch rates.
- Aug 12, 2013
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Not putting eggs under a Broody. She has laid the eggs and won't get off the nest so I just assume she is working on hatching them. She has been on there three days now and every time I get close she has a huge fit. I don't mean to sound stupid but do I have to buy eggs to put under her? This is my first time and didn't plan on buying eggs I just thought the ones she laid might be fertile since the rooster has been having his way with her a lot...
If she's with a rooster they're probably fertile and you're good to go. You'll know in 3 weeks!
- Aug 12, 2013
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Thanks donrae, I remember when I was a kid there was nothing like there is today to raise chicks. I really don't know what is gong on. The hen that sat for three days is off and running around with the others like nothing happened. I don't think they know what to do. They are only about a year old so maybe they are just practicing...lol
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