How do you tell if an egg is fertile???/

[chickincrazy]

Okay, so I'm trying to hatch chicks the old fashioned way: under a broody hen. But I'm trying to put the least amount of infertile eggs under her as possible. How do you tell if a fresh egg is fertile? Does it have a small black blotch when candled, or can you tell at all???

We chickenuts must stick together

 

[lazy gardener]

You can't tell until the egg has been incubated for about 7 days, then you can candle it and look for some veins. If you go to the learning center, you should be able to find some sample photos.

 

[sourland]

Well, if you crack it open and look for the 'bullseye' you can tell, but that eliminates any chance of incubating. Candling a non incubated doesn't help either. I would suggest giving the hen as many eggs as she can effectively cover and hope for the best. Good luck.

 

[PineSummit]

You can't tell at all. You can only start to see a difference when the chick starts to develop.

You can, however, crack open the eggs and look for the bull's eye. That's really the only way to tell if they are fertile.

I hope this helps.

 

[KYTinpusher]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-vs-infertile-egg-pictures/410#post_10713158

 

[dyoungen]

I had the same question and asked the guy that runs the local hatchery. He says you can check with putting the eggs in a container of water. If the egg floats or half floats no good. If it sinks to the bottom, it's a good egg, use it.

 

[hildar]

I had the same question and asked the guy that runs the local hatchery. He says you can check with putting the eggs in a container of water. If the egg floats or half floats no good. If it sinks to the bottom, it's a good egg, use it.

That is for eating eggs. It has nothing to do with fertile or not. However I saw a thread at GLP last week where they were telling people that the good eggs were the floaters. I told them they were wrong and got laughed at. I hope they get sick as a dog, if they believe that stuff.

 

[AmericanMom]

You can't tell at all. You can only start to see a difference when the chick starts to develop.

You can, however, crack open the eggs and look for the bull's eye. That's really the only way to tell if they are fertile.

I hope this helps.

I didn't attempt to incubate eggs until I saw the "bullseye" consistently in all of my eggs...Then I started pulling the best ones for incubation..

 

[hildar]

I didn't attempt to incubate eggs until I saw the "bullseye" consistently in all of my eggs...Then I started pulling the best ones for incubation..

I watch my rooster daily so I know he is breeding. That is the only way I will know. When I see him breeding. Plus he has 9 girls, so he keeps himself busy daily.

 

[AmericanMom]

I watch my rooster daily so I know he is breeding. That is the only way I will know. When I see him breeding. Plus he has 9 girls, so he keeps himself busy daily.

LOL, there is a VERY good chance then that they are fertile..
We eat a lot of eggs so when our roo started doing his job we were able to verify seeing the fertile egg..
check them in 7 days of incubation, some of mine are white shells and I can see the veining start by day 4