Brown egg fertility?

[docdubz]

Some of my hens are approaching laying age but my whole flock are brown egg layers. Is there a way to check fertility on brown eggs before incubation or is it pretty much a dice roll and just put a bunch in an incubator and hope most of them are fertile?

 

[CHlCKEN]

Some of my hens are approaching laying age but my whole flock are brown egg layers. Is there a way to check fertility on brown eggs before incubation or is it pretty much a dice roll and just put a bunch in an incubator and hope most of them are fertile?

I don’t think I understand your question. What do you mean “is there a way to check fertility on brown eggs”

 

[Willow2253]

Either crack a couple open or incubate for a few days and check with a really bright light.

 

[mcdze]

personally i wouldnt try to incubate eggs from young hens that have just started laying i would wait a couple of months, the eggs will get larger and better developed as the hen matures more plus you get to know them better, some will lay 'better' eggs than others and you can start learning what to look for yourself .. if you want to try it early theres really no reason not to but i wouldnt be expecting a serious result with the first few eggs out of fresh young hens .. but if you got a good rooster doing his thing theyre going to be fertile lol, again i wouldnt rush it ..a young rooster assuming he's the same age as the hens doesnt have his act together great either for a couple more months after theyre laying ..

 

[TomNY]

The same way as white eggs.

 

[nuthatched]

Crack open an egg into a container, if there's a white Bulls eye on the yolk if it's fertilized

 

[docdubz]

The same way as white eggs.

Everything I've read says you can't candle brown eggs until they are a week into incubation.

 

[The Happster]

Some eggs that are especially dark brown...eg, Marans eggs...will be harder to candle than white eggs. You will still be able to candle. What breeds do you have?

Each time you crack an egg, look for the bullseye. You might be able to find a rough estimate of what percentage fertile eggs you'll get.

Or, start incubation and just pull out the infertile as you go along.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Some of my hens are approaching laying age but my whole flock are brown egg layers. Is there a way to check fertility on brown eggs before incubation or is it pretty much a dice roll and just put a bunch in an incubator and hope most of them are fertile?

I wouldn't hatch eggs from a chicken that is less than one year old. For the reason that they are organizing their hormones at the time. That is why chickens that are younger than a year old tend to lay double yolker, shell-less eggs, and tiny eggs. The eggs can also be misshapen or have giant pores.The eggs while not be properly stable most of the time to keep a chick alive and nurtured.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Egg color has no bearing on telling fertility. Gotta look inside, by either candling or cracking.

(not my pic)