How Can You Tell If an egg is fertile by the outside?

[dandeliondragon]

Hi we just discovered 1 out of our 6 chickens is fertile how can you tell if an egg is fertile by the shells

 

[Godsgrl]

You can't. As I understand it, you have to crack the egg, and look for a bullseye on the yolk to tell. Then cook up an omelet!

 

[Judy]

Right. The only other method is to incubate it and see if a chick develops.

Not sure what you mean by one of your 5 chickens is fertile. If you have a rooster, chances are all the hens are laying fertile eggs.

 

[dandeliondragon]

the people who had the chickens before us had a rooster and if we have a chick in an egg we dont want to kill it we need another chicken

 

[angelbrenn]

You can candle the eggs to see if it is developing a check you will see red streaks if a check has started developing

 

[jentralala]

A fertile egg is almost no different than an unfertilized egg. There isn't a fully developed chick in it...it just has the potential to be a chick. Many people eat fertilized eggs, it's really no different. As long as you collect daily, there wouldn't be an issue. Give her a month or so and she'll no longer lay fertilized eggs, they'll be infertile like the rest of your hens.

 

[Judy]

Good point. The egg has to be incubated (kept around 100 degreess) to develop.

I've been eating fertile eggs off and on much of my life. No chicks yet!