Are my hens eggs fertilized?

[MochaDuck]

Hi everyone. So we just got our rooster a new home yesterday. Today one of the hens started brooding her eggs. Even though he left, is it still possible that these eggs are fertilized?

Thanks all

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes they should be still fertile as the hen stores sperm after the mating. A general guide after the roo has left is ~

2 weeks - high fertility

3 weeks - some fertility

4 weeks - occasional fertility

Have you cracked some of your other eggs open to check for fertility?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi everyone. So we just got our rooster a new home yesterday. Today one of the hens started brooding her eggs. Even though he left, is it still possible that these eggs are fertilized?

Thanks all

Usually they will be fertile for at least 10 days. Dropping after 14, and probably clear by 21.

But collect all the eggs you plan to set and do it at the same time to avoid staggered hatch. Give her some fakes or let her brood air until you are ready to set. And be sure to mark the eggs you do set so you can collect any fresh deposits to your broody's nest nightly, leaving only the ones she is intended to hatch.

If you just got rid of your boy... are you ready for more?

 

[MochaDuck]

Usually they will be fertile for at least 10 days. Dropping after 14, and probably clear by 21.

But collect all the eggs you plan to set and do it at the same time to avoid staggered hatch. Give her some fakes or let her brood air until you are ready to set. And be sure to mark the eggs you do set so you can collect any fresh deposits to your broody's nest nightly, leaving only the ones she is intended to hatch.

If you just got rid of your boy... are you ready for more?

Thanks for the info


In response to your question:
If you mean hens, then totally.
But if you mean roosters... NOOO!!! No more roosters!

We still have two more that we are hopefully going to find new homes for.

 

[MochaDuck]

Yes they should be still fertile as the hen stores sperm after the mating. A general guide after the roo has left is ~

2 weeks - high fertility

3 weeks - some fertility

4 weeks - occasional fertility

Have you cracked some of your other eggs open to check for fertility?

Thanks for the info

I don't know how to check for fertility. This is my first time having fertal hens. Does it hurt the embryo chick to check?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks for the info

I don't know how to check for fertility. This is my first time having fertal hens. Does it hurt the embryo chick to check?

You have to crack them open so they won't hatch but they are edible still...

Polka dot not fertile, bulls eye fertile.

Half that hatch will be boys.

It may be easier to expect to re-home them all if you are okay with some being eaten. While I do eat my extras... they live every day good and have one bad moment that is over before they can even process what is going on. I calmly pick them up and do the deed so they aren't brutalized or traumatized. As humanely as possible, is how I and most folks do it. I needed to have a responsible and reliable plan in place before deciding to hatch. While several boys have gone to new homes... it isn't that easy and not too long before everyone has their limit. Just sharing here!

Otherwise... candle them at about 7 days... not before 3 as you won't see anything. If they aren't too dark you should be able to see veining or development without causing any harm to the embryo! Remove any without development at day 10... or 14 if you aren't sure.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry for not being clear. What I meant was to check eggs that you are not going to incubate. Crack open a couple of “not incubated eggs” so ones you are going to eat for example. You can check for a blastoderm or blastodisc on the yolk which will indicate fertility. As a general rule of thumb if a few you check are fertile your others should be too. So you can then put the un-cracked ones under your hen.

 

[aart]

But if you mean roosters... NOOO!!! No more roosters!

If you let her hatch some eggs, there will be more 'roosters'.
Are you sure you want to let her do that?

Today one of the hens started brooding her eggs.

Are you sure she's broody?
I'd be collecting all eggs daily until you're sure of what you want to do.

These are the signs I go by:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, doesn't she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

You can break her of her broodiness.

When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

But if you mean roosters... NOOO!!! No more roosters!

One way I like to avoid roosters but still allow my hens to raise chicks is by adopting sexed feed store chicks (under 6 days old) to them in the middle of the night. This also give me a chance to try other breeds and see how I like them.

 

[MochaDuck]

Thanks everyone for your help. She stopped laying on them yesterday; which I'm kinda relieved because I don't want more roosters