Fertile?

[Magnolia Ducks]

My Gander was eaten last Sunday. Wilma the goose laid this morning. It's only her third egg and rather small. Smaller around than a duck egg but longer. Is there any hope in incubating it? I put it in the fridge but just a few minutes ago. I am torn as huevos rancheros is for breakfast this morning. I wanted to get her a chick to raise for company but no one seems to have them till spring.

 

[sawilliams]

It's best to wait until the eggs are standard size four the breed. Undersized eggs have a higher mortality rate, and can have early hatches

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Thanks. It is really small even fora duck. I would have thought it was a duck egg from one of my young ducks if I had not seen her laying it. Breakfast it is.

 

[sawilliams]

As to if it's actually fertile or not. If you have a male then it is possible.

 

[BullChick]

Eggs remain fertile for about a month after a hen is bred. Even if you refrigerate the eggs, they are likely to hatch.
Hoping they are fertile!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Sigh, I ate it. I don't have a n incubator and it was really small. Poor Fred, he was a good gander.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I thought putting eggs in the fridge ruined them for hatching. And also I would wait for normal sized eggs as if you were to incubate the smaller ones their would be a higher risk that the gosling will die in the egg.

 

[BullChick]

Refrigerating the eggs is about the same as incubating week old eggs. It lowers fertility, but some people always hatch out eggs from Trader Joe’s. I have decided to put eggs in an incubator, and emptied my refrigerator (chicken math happens! ).