Chicken sex question

[Tigerkity]

Sorry I am really new at this all so I don't know if this is the correct section to ask but at what age do you need to separate roosters from hens to be sure you don't get fertilized eggs?

My hens are about 11 weeks now and not laying yet but I want to be sure that the rooster (that I am in the process of finding a new home for) doesn't try to have sex with any of the hens and I end up with fertilized eggs.

Sorry for the uneducated questions...

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't understand your concern or what you really want to prevent, but with that attitude separate them now. They are not going to be laying for a while but that cockerel could hit puberty any day. When he does he will probably try to mate the pullets.

If you could explain what your concern is and why that would be a bad thing I might be able to give you a better answer but since I'm not sure what you are concerned about the only answer I can give is to separate them today.

 

[Tigerkity]

I don't understand your concern or what you really want to prevent, but with that attitude separate them now. They are not going to be laying for a while but that cockerel could hit puberty any day. When he does he will probably try to mate the pullets.

If you could explain what your concern is and why that would be a bad thing I might be able to give you a better answer but since I'm not sure what you are concerned about the only answer I can give is to separate them today.

I just don't want fertilized eggs when my hens start laying. I don't know when chickens become mature and fertilized eggs become a concern. Fertilized eggs turn into Chicks which I am trying to avoid.

I am in the process of rehoming the rooster because I am not supposed to have roosters in the city limits so thats sorta a separate issue.

My attitude is coming from a place of genuine lack of knowledge, which I am trying to remedy by learning more. Sorry if it came across rude.

 

[Doc7]

Fertilized eggs don’t turn into chicks if you don’t incubate them.
Fertilized eggs are totally fine for eating and nobody can tell the difference (some people can, but many people just make a guess at photos on this website).

If you have eaten eggs from a variety of sources other than a grocery store, you’ve likely had fertilized eggs.

 

[Tigerkity]

Fertilized eggs don’t turn into chicks if you don’t incubate them.
Fertilized eggs are totally fine for eating and nobody can tell the difference (some people can, but many people just make a guess at photos on this website).

Thanks! So if I put any eggs my hens lay directly into the refrigerator after I collect them, there will be no obvious indication that they have been fertilized?
I grew up with Balut (cooked fertilized bird eggs) so it sounds like I was misled to believe that any fertilized egg is obvious when being eaten.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Nope if you collect daily and refrigerate you won't be any the wiser

 

[Doc7]

Thanks! So if I put any eggs my hens lay directly into the refrigerator after I collect them, there will be no obvious indication that they have been fertilized?
I grew up with Balut (cooked fertilized bird eggs) so it sounds like I was misled to believe that any fertilized egg is obvious when being eaten.

Yes. You can just store home farmed eggs on your counter also as long as your house is cooled to typical American standards (let’s say 70s?) home grown eggs should not be washed as it removes the bloom and refrigeration can cause condensation issues - the only eggs I refrigerate are ones that I hard boil once a batch reaches 10 days old.

 

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

Thanks! So if I put any eggs my hens lay directly into the refrigerator after I collect them, there will be no obvious indication that they have been fertilized?
I grew up with Balut (cooked fertilized bird eggs) so it sounds like I was misled to believe that any fertilized egg is obvious when being eaten.

Yep! theres no difference in taste, look, or anything at all between fertile and non fertile eggs. Even if you don’t put them in the fridge right away they won’t turn into chicks. Only if they are incubated at a certain temperature for a certain amount of days.

 

[Tigerkity]

Well thats a relief!!

Thanks everyone for the patience with my newbie question!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not rude at all. I just didn't know here you were coming from. Never be afraid to ask a question on here. We all have to start form somewhere.

Fertilized eggs do not turn into chicks unless they are incubated. They do have a living embryo in them when they are laid. That's pretty much on a microscopic level though, nothing like Balut eggs. Balut eggs are incubated to create what some people consider a delicacy. If you gather your eggs daily and refrigerate they will not develop.