Fertilized eggs?

[newchickiefarmer]

Not sure if this is the right thread or not..but here goes...

So, I have three 8 week old frizzle bantams. I'm 99% sure one is a roo, the other 2 are most likely hens. Here's my question...when they start laying eggs, and there is a roo present. How do I know if I can eat the eggs or not? I don't want to crack open a chick

 

[Marlinchaser]

As long as you have gathered the eggs daily (or more often) there will be no chick. Eggs only start to develop if they are sat on. So gather often and eat all the eggs.

 

[bigzio]

Oh my gosh....you really need to read some more, actually alot more, I wish you the best!

bigzio

 

[tunaoftheland]

I know your question was already answered, but I wanted to say I saw your pictures and what pretty chicks!

 

[fullhouse]

They are probably all going to be fertile if you have a roo. Hens only need to be fertilized every couple weeks, each egg doesn't need to be fertilized individually. If you don't want babies, collect your eggs 2x a day and they won't ever develop. If fertilized eggs gross you out, sell the roo.

 

[newchickiefarmer]

tuna thank you! I just love them so much!

boy I sure do love how self-righteous some chicken owners can be

and for the rest of the people who felt it necessary to make really really really stupid comments.....you were new once too

it's okay..some people just weren't raised right

second...nowhere in that post did I say I was "grossed out" by fertilized eggs. I just wasn't sure how long a fertilized egg can sit before it starts turning into a chick...

I've tried to be as helpful as I can in my posts without offending anyone...I really wish some people could try to do the same thing......

 

[fullhouse]

Wow. I am sorry I took the time to answer newbie questions in a what I thought was a casual, respectable way. If you don't want personal answers, maybe just use google.

 

[MissPrissy]

I think everyone here was tryng to be very helpful and it was taken the wrong way.

It would be to any new chicken owner's benefit to get some books and read up on the care and other issues associated with having chickens full time.

You can eat any egg from most fowl - quail, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, emu, rhea, ostrich etc. You can eat them if they are fertile or infertile.

As the care giver of your own fowl you must check your nests daily, several times if you can, and collect your eggs and never leave them in the hen house.

You won't have any issues such as you described if you do this routinely, daily.

A fertile egg cannot develop into a chick with out being incubated either by a hen or by artificial means linke in a manmade incubator.

It takes 24 - 36 hours of incubation at 100 degrees for the embryo to begin developing. It won't happen sitting on your kitchen counter. It won't happen if you collect your eggs every day and put them in your refrigerator. A fertile egg has the potental to be a chick. It is not a chick waiting to spring forth from the shell.

If you do plan to continue to raise chickens or any other fowl that might catch your fancy I would heartly suggest that you get a back to basics type of how to and read, read, read. There are many books like Story's Guide to Raising Chickens/Poultry/etc that you would benefit from. Not only to learn the basics of poultry care and behavior to aid in the detection and need for medical intervention.

Welcome to BYC and enjoy your chickens.