How to Tell a Fertile vs INfertile Egg (Pictures)

[LoveMyPeeps]

This post is so helpful! I've received tons of misinformation regarding how to tell if an egg is fertilized. For starters, I was frustrated when I tried candling my eggs, not aware that an egg must be incubated before candling will work. One of my hens is laying once a day now and one of the eggs was cracked so I decided to check out the yolk, having been told that blood spots will indicate a fertile egg. Wrong again! I am pretty sure the egg was fertile now, as I studied the white spot a bit. Anyhow, it's great information to know!

 

[kwynn's birds Alaska]

I see some nice pics here,
QUESTION...

I know i read it somewhere in this forum, but what are the blood spots? My MIL says it's that the egg is fertile...but i know that's not it. I read that here too. Just wondering...

 

[JudyMcKinn]

SKYRIDER, you need to just put enough eggs that the hen can cover them all. Usually about 10 to a dozen. If she can't cover them all, usually you get a very poor hatch, because the hen turns the eggs several times a day with her beak, so the ones under her get rolled out where they cool off, and the ones out from under her get rolled back under, so that all are ruined. If they have started to grow a chick, then get rooted out from under her and get cold, that kills the embreo, then the others under her get rooted out into the cold at different times, and also die.
About a dozen is a small enough amount that she can keep them all warm.
Just save eggs till you have about a dozen, then put them under a hen that is sitting. If you don't have a sitter, don't bother saving fertile eggs till you get one, as you never know when one will decide she is ready to hatch some babies.
Good Luck. Oh, also, you need to keep a setting hen on eggs seperate from the rest of your chickens, as if she is in with them, they will crowd into the nest and lay fresh eggs in with the ones she is trying to hatch, and again there will be too many eggs under her.

 

[moodusnewchick]

If you candle eggs after the hen has been setting for awhile and find some that are not developed, can you eat them?

 

[JudyMcKinn]

Mood, no, the egg would be starting to spoil from the heat, if nothing is developing. I sure wouldn't eat them.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Very nice pictures. Very informative.

Now everytime I crack open an egg, i check to see if its fertile. lol

 

[winekntrychicks]

If you are finding that the cracked eggs really is fertile; are you really putting them back in the shell to incubates or are you guys joking----I'm new at raising chickens. Thanks for not laughing at me.

 

[DaKid]

Thanks this is a great post I have learn a lott as most pic are also very helpful
thanks again ya'll

Al.

 

[joebryant]

kwynn's birds Alaska :

I see some nice pics here,
QUESTION...

I know i read it somewhere in this forum, but what are the blood spots? My MIL says it's that the egg is fertile...but i know that's not it. I read that here too. Just wondering...

Can anyone answer this question? I was wondering the same thing.​

 

[CK Chickadilly]

always wondered....thanks for posting the pics!