Can I assume my eggs are fertile?

[beckyloveschicks]

I have several hens and a couple of roosters that all hang out together here on the farm. I want to try to hatch some of the many eggs I'm getting. Can I just assume my eggs are fertile? I know it won't hurt anything to try, right? I get my incubator tomorrow. At what point do I start candeling to check for viability?

Thanks in advance.

 

[chickenlady]

Never assume anything!! However, they should be fertile. Try it and see. They say the earliest you should candle to see good development is 7 days. Good Luck.

 

[kellim]

I usually candle at about 3 days to see if I see veins. By then i have noticed that in my fertile eggs there are VERY prominent veins. Just my experience.

 

[chickenlady]

While you can candle on day three, it is not recommended. The first 4 days of the embyros life is the most delicate. You have more of a chance of them expiring early in the incubation.

 

[Davaroo]

The only way to know is to try incubating them. Candle after 7 days and youll know.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Only way to tell if they are fertile without incubating them first is to crack a few fresh eggs into a dish and look for fertility by comparing them to the ones in this thread..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

 

[kellim]

Quote:
I personally have never had a problem with any of the ones I have done this with dying early, one of our local breeders told me to do it this way and I haven't had a problem. Guess it's just personal choice.