Always have to candle?

[Sundari]

If you have a rooster in with your hens, do you always have to candle eggs before eating them to make sure there isn't a little chicken embryo developing? Or, is that only for eggs that have been sitting around for a while?

 

[FarmGirl01]

I don't candle eggs that I'm eating. My eggs are gathered daily. If I find a hidden nest or eggs that have not been collected, due to out of town, I throw them away. Eggs will start to develope if a hen has been sitting on them for a length of time.

 

[Ohhhdear]

If you gather your eggs daily, just after they're laid, then no, there won't be chicks developing inside them.
A hen will lay a clutch of eggs--5-20 eggs-- before sitting on them and heating them up with her internal body temperature so they'll begin to develop and hatch. You could have fertile eggs sitting out on your countertop for a couple weeks and they won't begin to develop chicks inside because they need to be incubated.
If you find a nest of eggs and you don't want the hen to brood them and hatch babies, then you might want to candle them to see if they're already developing (if the mom hen will allow you near them, that is!).

 

[Sundari]

Wonderful -- thanks so much for the info!