Can you eat fertilised eggs?

[Kiwi Chicky]

just wondering if we should keep Roo separate for most of the time? or keep him in with the ladies?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

You can eat them.

Make sure they're not old, like 2 or more days. They develop quickly.

But fresh is great!

 

[Rootball]

They can be old if refrigerated, just dont eat ones that have been sitting in a hot coop for a week.


Sometimes eggs from the grocery are fertile, you've probably eaten fertilized eggs without knowing it.


Search the board there are plenty of threads. Some stores even sell them specifically as different groups of people think that they are more nutritious.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Thanks, Rootball! That's what I meant, just not what I said...

Old in the fridge =

Old in the coop =

 

[cassie]

My aunt used to break all eggs into a saucer to check quality before she used them. You can do that if you have concerns about the quality of a given egg.

 

[Akane]

In an air conditioned house they can sit on the counter for weeks if not months and still be fine. In a fridge they are good for something like 6months.

Being fertile doesn't change that unless the eggs are exposed to temps over 90-95F for a couple days. That's the only way a chick will grow. So the only way you'll even notice you have fertile eggs is if you leave one sit in the coop in really hot weather or under a hen for 2-3 days before breaking it open. Otherwise the difference between a fertile and infertile egg is the size of a tiny white dot you probably won't even notice on the yolk without someone pointing it out to you. Nutritionally and healthwise fertile and infertile eggs have no difference.

It is suggested whether you have fertile eggs or not to break all eggs in a seperate bowl before adding them to the rest or to whatever you're cooking just in case you get a bad one. Sometimes things do happen but it's just as likely to happen with infertile as fertile eggs.

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

Thanks for that, will leave him in the big pen until he becomes a bother