Babies on your Pantry Shelf..

[destorieswind]

Hello there,

I sell eggs to suppliers of local farmers markets. Recently I was asked if I had a rooster fertilizing my eggs. I stated yes, since roosters offer great protection in warning of dangers (since my hens are completely free range). Now, I know that you can eat fertilized eggs and never really know the difference as long as you collect eggs daily, which I do. However, the concern from my suppliers was that the customers were storing the eggs of the shelf of their non-refrigerated pantry and the embryos were developing enough to become noticeable.

My question is: Can the fertilized eggs develop very small embryos after a few weeks of sitting on a room temperature pantry shelf? From my research, the eggs need to be at least 99 degrees F for anything to develop.

Any personal experience or knowledge of the subject would be welcomed.

Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Unfortunately, they can. They can't develop enough to hatch, and I don't know what the minimum temperature is for some development. I've read as low as mid-70's, but I don't believe that. My house thermostat is set on 78 in the summer and I store them on the kitchen counter without development. But I do think that temperature is in the low to mid-80's for some development.