Hens lay fertile eggs without Rooster?

[centrarchid]

Hens can produce fertile eggs if you do not have a fertile rooster or fertile male of a closely related species. Sometimes you need to consider what you neighbor has. Neighbor recently had some free-range hens come over and my free-range American Dominique had him some fun.

 

[junebuggena]

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That's a lash egg.

 

[aart]

Quote: Yes, 'lash egg', sign of uterine infection.... NOT an embryo.

 

[cmom]

Quote: Yes, 'lash egg', sign of uterine infection.... NOT an embryo.

ditto, a lash egg.

 

[TherryChicken]

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Definitely a lash egg! I had a hen lay one, but by the time I could pin point who, she was dead. If you know Wich hen laid it, you may want to start antibiotics to clear up the infection

 

[dekel18042]

Hens can produce fertile eggs if you do not have a fertile rooster or fertile male of a closely related species. Sometimes you need to consider what you neighbor has. Neighbor recently had some free-range hens come over and my free-range American Dominique had him some fun.

X2. I read most of this thread and I came to the conclusion you could get development in one of four ways.
1. One of the hens is actually a missexed rooster
2. It is a hybrid. Chicken egg fertilized by something else, a guinea for example.
3. Somehow your hen got out or a rooster got in.
4. Fertility can last fairly long after a rooster is gone. I know of a case where a rooster was killed and a hen hatched a clutch almost seven weeks later. Allowing 3 weeks for the incubation, fertile eggs were laid until almost a month after he passed.

 

[Ajc]

My question to the group comes about after a conversation I had with a gentlemen last evening. I know that hens lay eggs without having a rooster around - no problem, happens all the time. And I know that once you have a rooster, the hen will then lay "fertile" eggs.

My friend was telling me that back in the 1930s a study was done with 100 hens that were completely isolated from any roosters. After a while, 17 of the 100 hens laid eggs that were not only FERTILE, but were all female chicks. It was explained as some sort of throwback survival thing.

I find this hard to believe - if it were true, why would we need roosters at all (except for their beauty and lovely crowing)? If we could guarantee female-only chicks, that would certainly solve the headaches a lot of people have when they find that they got the 1 in 100 male.

So - has anyone ever heard of this study? Has anyone every experienced this phenomenon? Or has he done a really great job pulling my leg?

Thanks for any comments (except those that say I am completely gullible!).

I haven't heard of this study., But, we haven't had a rooster for over 6 months and one of our hens lays eggs once in awhile that have zygotes in them. We have been trying to figure out how that is even possible. Now we have an explanation. Thanks for bringing up this topic.

 

[Sublight]

I read where a guy once said he hatched a chicken out of storebought eggs!

My dad just bought a 96 egg incubator. I told him to go spend 15 bucks on walmart eggs, and put em in it. Just for giggles to see what happens.

 

[aart]

I haven't heard of this study.

Me neither....but wish they had provided a link.

Here's another possibility.
Fertile without cockbird:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fertile-egg-no-rooster.1261129/#post-20245231

 

[Carter Martin]

Me neither....but wish they had provided a link.

Here's another possibility.
Fertile without cockbird:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fertile-egg-no-rooster.1261129/#post-20245231

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/arti...to the ability,turkey eggs to develop embryos.

I just look found this website after looking up (Parthenogenesis chicken)