how do you know a egg is not fertile?

[chickenrookie16]

My hen has been sitting on her eggs for 27 days know and no chicks???
and my friend there hen layed eggs after mine and theirs already hatched...
is there something wrong?

 

[Judy]

Nothing is going to hatch after 27 days. Open them and see what's inside. Either there's a half formed chick or it's just an egg and was not fertile.

The only way to tell if an egg is fertile is to break it open and check the spot on the yolk; there are some excellent pics on here of the difference between the two kinds of spots. If you have an active and healthy roo, though, most of the eggs will be fertile.

 

[sourland]

Incubation period for chickens is 21 days. You do have a rooster, right?

 

[chickenrookie16]

yeah i got a rooster.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

You can also candle them to see if/how they are developing, during the brooding process. I think there's a sticky and links in the incubation and hatching section of the forum. With pictures!