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How do i know when an egg is fertiale?

Discussion in 'Incubating & Hatching Eggs' started by Squirtchy2009, Sep 4, 2009.

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  1. Sep 4, 2009 #1
    Squirtchy2009

    Squirtchy2009 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    say i had 2 cocks and 8 hens, and it was spring and i had seen them mating, would all the eggs after that be fertiale or just the ones she lays on?, what if she is not broody but still lays eggs, or is it just eggs she lays on as she goes broody after they mate?

    Sorry new to all of this technical stuff :s
     
  3. Sep 4, 2009 #2
    rebelcowboysnb

    rebelcowboysnb Confederate Money Farm Premium Member

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    If shes with a roo you can assume all the eggs are fertile.
     
  5. Sep 4, 2009 #3
    popcornpuppy

    popcornpuppy Chillin' With My Peeps

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    If a hen is broody or not, that has nothing to do with the fertility.
    You need to have the hen with a rooster to get fertile eggs, and then they have to mate. From one mating, a female can lay fertile eggs for up to 3 weeks after that.
    Any egg that the hen lays can be eaten, if it's fertile or not. But only fertile eggs can be hatched. If the hen won't lay on them to hatch them out, you can hatch them in an incubator.
    A hen is broody when she wants to sit on the eggs and hatch them. She can be broody with out having fertile eggs.
    This link will show you photos of how to tell if an egg is fertile or not.
    https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2009

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