Does a fertilized egg need to be refrigerated if you're gonna eat it?

[mrbstephens]

My first two eggs are sitting on my counter. My rooster has been mating with the hen who laid them. Do I need to refrigerate them to stop the chick from developing? I'd hate to open them and find a developing chick in my frying pan.

 

[Davaroo]

No, but it couldn't hurt.

If they have been developing under a hen before you snag them, you may find a surprise. And if you don't collect them every day and your house is not air conditioned during summer, the same thing can happen if they sit around too long.

Embryonic growth will commence at just over 70 degrees F. So its best to get em collected quick and cool 'em eggs down.

 

[mrbstephens]

Well these first two I snagged right away because I saw that she was laying. Ok. I'll put them in the fridge. Thanks!

 

[PortageGirl]

well, yes, I agree that in summer it can't hurt to get them in the fridge, but think about how a hen lays a good number of a clutch before she really starts to brood them, and then they all hatch within hours of each other as a rule. I usually have a roo and fertile eggs, but rarely worry THAT much... I keep my eggs in the basement in a cool spot, but don't fret if they don't get in the fridge immediately. *shrugs* I've never had one of those 'surprises'.

 

[cmom]

I put mine in the refrigerator.

 

[txchickie]

I leave mine in a pretty bowl on the counter

I looove to look at them.
I'm sure mine are fertilized as my roos are busy dudes. I don't wash eggs until right before I am about to use them. If they are dirty I will wipe the dirty part off with a dry paper towel.
Once I had an "oops" and cracked an egg to cook and noticed a beating heart

But I'm fairly sure DH had found that one somewhere and stuck it in the bowl with my good eggs....all the surprise eggs from my free-rangers go to the dogs.

 

[Davaroo]

So were in agreement, the egg will continue developing its embryo?

GO ahead and cool them. It cant hurt.

 

[PortageGirl]

no, they won't develope without being warmed consistantly. Someone said 70degrees, but I believe that is overstating it, that may keep it viable at some level, but to actually develope, they need to be quite a bit warmer. The 'surprise' free range txchickie spoke of are, I believe, the ones that her husband found that hens had already begun to sit on. It takes quite a bit to get them to that point. I've had roos over the years (and years, yes I'm old) and have never had that happen with the ones that are gathered promptly and hens havent sat on for more than a partial day. Even if they sat till evening or possibly the next morning on a busy day or a late night, I wouldn't worry, and I don't refridgerate mine that much. I don't have room in my 'icebox' ... did I say I'm old?

 

[mrbstephens]

So keeping them on the counter is OK? I love to see them in my pretty bowl where I can see them too. At what temp do they develop then?

 

[PortageGirl]

Well, I won't tell you what is -OK- for you to do. I WILL tell you that I keep my eggs, what I'll use withing the week I'd say, out on the counter, and the extras in cartons down in the basement (cellar?) where it's nice and cool, but not cold.

I sell them, and people know they weren't in a fridge and that I only wipe the dirt, if any, off without actually washing them. We live in a rural area where that is not unusual. Sometimes new people look dubious when I inform them, some walk away without buying but not many, most of them heard about me from someone else who gets them from me and have already eaten them, or know for a fact that other families who buy them from me are happy and healthy.

I had to reduce my flock recently but will soon have them built back up to 20-25, I won't put my 'fresh eggs' sign back up till I have several dozen on hand, then I drape a feed sack over it when they're sold, it usually doesn't take long.