Can I eat these?

[dancingbear]

Good for you, keeping your own little flock!

Now that you have a roo, next time a hen goes broody, you can give her some eggs. Do mark them and start them all at once, though. Other hens will climb in and add new eggs to the nest, even if it's in an odd place. They don't care. They see another hen there, and nothing else will do but to lay in that same nest.

Make sure you don't let her keep more than she can completely cover, otherwise eggs will take turns getting chilled because the ones on the edges won't stay warm enough. That can cause a lot of them to die.

But that's easy to avoid, if you need to take some eggs out. Once an egg is removed and out of sight, she'll settle right back down and forget about it.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

i am litterally cooking some of the eggs for the chickens now and then i figure ill give them some raw too.....also this has been really bothering me....how long can an fertalized egg last before it is too late for a hen to lay on it....and what do you do with it in the mean time until you have a broody?

 

[gritsar]

Although others would disagree with me, I don't think it's a good idea to give chickens raw eggs. Raw eggs look too much like what they are. Don't want the chickens to get any ideas about cracking some open and helping themselves.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

o ya....that makes sense....ive seen some stories about that lately on here....

 

[mamaKate]

Quote:
Dogs can have crushed egg shells, too; but I think I'd compost these.

 

[setter4]

Quote:
Dogs can have crushed egg shells, too; but I think I'd compost these.

My dogs get eggs & egg shells every day. It was reccommended by their homeopath and checked with their vet. It's a fine source of calcium.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Fertile eggs can be kept at room temp (around 70F) for about ten days, then you can put them under a broody and most of them should hatch. I've hatched eggs that had been refrigerated, and I've read that a lot of others have, too, it used to be common practice. The eggs sure would last longer before being set. I'd still want to get them started in less tha three weeks. The older the eggs are, the lower your hatch rate will be.

Select eggs of normal size, shape, and with good, sound, clean shells. If you candle the eggs, that'll help you spot weak spots in shells, as well as very porous shells, so you can select the best for hatching. That should increase hatch rate, and reduce the likelihood of eggs breaking in the nest.

I keep cartons marked "hatching eggs", and if I don't have a broody when I want, but expect one any old time, (like all spring and summer) I'll write the date on the eggs, with pencil. Then I know which ones are oldest, and can replace them with fresher eggs while waiting. The older eggs are still good, I go ahead and eat them.

When ready to place eggs under a hen, I mark and date them with a black Sharpie. (permanent marker)

 

[55885100]

i would not eat them

 

[UP_Chicken_Lover]

I know more about dogs than chickens and the dogs can have the chicken shells. As a matter of fact - I use them in dog cookie recipes all the time.

my girls when they were young... started laying on the 24th - and we now have 3 eggs!