Can you eat fertilized eggs that have been in the nest 2 1/2 weeks?

[BrookCideMurder]

I have a hen and a rooster, the hen has been laying fertilized eggs I stopped collecting around 2 1/2 weeks ago. Now, there are about 15 eggs in her nest, the hen has not gone broody. I dont want the eggs to go to waste, and I decided I want to eat these eggs, not hatch them. I do not know which eggs are older, or which ones were recently laid.

will a fertilized egg that is laid and not sat on by a broody hen, still be viable for eating if it was left in the nest for around two weeks? is it likely a partially developed chick will be there if they were never sat on or should i be safe with using them?

Also regarding the temperature, they are southern CA temps, 65 -75 degrees day and night.

thanks

 

[Ravynscroft]

Really that is up to personal choice... temps are not optimal, but clean, unwashed, unrefridgerated eggs can stay good for up to a month, a lot longer than that if they are refrigerated... sniff the shell and if it smells bad toss it, otherwise crack them into a separate bowl and if they look and smell fine then they should be... just make sure to cook them fully as normal for poultry products...

 

[BrookCideMurder]

hey i really appreciate you answering, let me ask you a follow up if you do not mind.

I am ignorant when it comes to the development of a baby chick inside the egg. I thought that a baby chick would not start to develop until the mother sat on the clutch bringing it to a certain temperature so theoretically if this never occurs, in reference to a chicks development, a 2 week old egg that is never sat on would be as undeveloped as a newly laid egg. I understand everything depends but more or less that is correct right. There should be no development of the fertile egg into a baby chick until the hen begins sitting on the clutch right? also, that would mean if left the eggs in the nest for like three weeks then made a huge omlette, as long as they were never sat on, they SHOULD be viable eggs with not partially developed chicks in them

part of this also was i wanted to hard boil some eggs and i really dont wanna be deshelling an egg i hard boil and come across some half developed chick ya know?

Anyways thanks for the response. I really appreciate you adding to the conversation which is not something i always get when i post.

 

[Ravynscroft]

You are very welcome! I tend to go more in depth as I like to know the what and why's behind things too, lol... and if I answer a question or offer advice I do try to keep an eye open for follow ups, so no, I don't mind...

You are absolutely correct, a chick cannot start development until it has been warmed to 99.5°F constantly for a couple days... unless yiu have hens sleeping in the nest boxes on top of those eggs, they should be fine... as for hardboiling them, I totally understand your concerns... if you candle them (shine a bright light through the shell in a very dark room) you should be able to see just the shadow of the yolk if it's fine... any veins or darkening throughout the egg would be signs of development...

And I'm sorry you have issues getting proper answers sometimes... please feel free to send me a PM if you ever want to ask me any questions... if I don't know the answers I will tell you that, but might be able to get answers from others as well...

 

[BrookCideMurder]

You are the best, thank you very much.

 

[Ravynscroft]

You are the best, thank you very much.

Very welcome, am glad to help...