Egg question, need help!!

[rdport]

A broody hen will let the egg gathers know that she is not happy about them trying to take her eggs. She should kind of look like a mad hen and peck them. So they should pass Miss Broody by. A chick hatches in 21 days, so things start happening soon if the hen is setting one the eggs. You might find it interesting to candle the eggs.

But, I don't think you will have a problem....as said, people don't want to find that surprise, so she must not have any problems.

 

[Ema]

I used a dozen eggs for dinner yesterday, all was great, and I am so amazed at the difference between store bought and farm fresh. Farm fresh are much more yellow and they make really fluffy omelets that taste great. lately the grocery store eggs seem really...watery I guess would be the term, but these are pretty thick with bright onragy yellow yolks. I rather pay more for farm fresh eggs. Even my daughter and son ate all the eggs, they usually refuse to eat them so that has to say something in itself!!!

 

[geebs]

Yay!!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
my worry came from the fact she has a lifelong illness that keeps her from getting out there every day, she gets her kids or hubby to go when she can't get out of bed. Her kids and hubby have no clue what they are doing according to what they told me and they keep all the chickens together, broody hens, rooster, chicks etc...what I should have said is, how do I know the kids/hubby didn't make a mistake and take one of the eggs from the hens that are suppossed to hatch babies....lol....because she told me she has about a dozen hens that are incubating thier eggs right now.

Well now. This I can understand. My DD's dont' always know who brooding or not either and have taken eggs from the broody nest when the hen was out. This being the case you have two choices. 1. Candle the eggs before you use them. 2. Don't buy eggs from her explaining your reasonable fear.

She on the other hand should seperate her brooding hens from the others. I personally mark my eggs with and X so I know that I'm not taking a broody egg if the chance that another non brooding hen gets in and lays an additional egg.

Hope that helps

Rancher

 

[Ema]

Quote:
my worry came from the fact she has a lifelong illness that keeps her from getting out there every day, she gets her kids or hubby to go when she can't get out of bed. Her kids and hubby have no clue what they are doing according to what they told me and they keep all the chickens together, broody hens, rooster, chicks etc...what I should have said is, how do I know the kids/hubby didn't make a mistake and take one of the eggs from the hens that are suppossed to hatch babies....lol....because she told me she has about a dozen hens that are incubating thier eggs right now.

Well now. This I can understand. My DD's dont' always know who brooding or not either and have taken eggs from the broody nest when the hen was out. This being the case you have two choices. 1. Candle the eggs before you use them. 2. Don't buy eggs from her explaining your reasonable fear.

She on the other hand should seperate her brooding hens from the others. I personally mark my eggs with and X so I know that I'm not taking a broody egg if the chance that another non brooding hen gets in and lays an additional egg.

Hope that helps

Rancher

see that is what I thought, she should separate them, but I did speak with her yesterday, she doesn't live far in fact less than 5 minutes away from me. I went and spoke to her about my fears and she laughed....she said that when the kids or hubby get the eggs she checks them all, only time she doesn't is when she collects them. I am truly amazed about her set up. Her hubby dug up a huge pond in a ditch that runs through their property for the ducks and built her a huge duck house all fenced in, all her unaltered ducks don't even leave. she has 4 coops huge coops...also all fenced in and they allow everything to grow wild inside the fence line. She also has a rabbit house. all her rabbits look like the easter bunny rabbits. Anyhow I guess she knows her set up and her chickens. I asked her cautiously if she ever eats her chickens, she said absolutely not, she buys her chicken meat from the grocery store. In Any event there was nothing to fear. But makes me wonder how one keeps track of soo many chickens!!!! lol

 

[LaurenM23]

OP, I'd really like to thank you for this post! I am just now developing my own little flock of layers, but have questioned the same from "farm fresh" eggs that I have seen for sale. Not knowing just how careful or thorough someone else may be, I have always been nervous of a surprise "half-baked chick"! After reading of you taking a chance with good results, I might just give it a go until my ladies are ready here at home. Thanks!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It's really easy to candle an egg, if you ever have any doubts about an egg. It only takes a second. You just hold the egg up to a strong light source and it illuminates the interior. It can show you if it's a clear egg, one that has veining from a chick that's starting to develop, or a chick. It can also show large blood spots or meat spots that can be in unfertilized eggs, although that's not that common. My great-grandmother always candled her eggs and that was how I was taught. It's easier on lighter colored eggs than on the dark chocolate colored eggs.

Here's more info, right here on BYC:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-candling-eggs.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876