How to tell fertile from infertile egg?

[barbara j.]

I would love to sell my eggs to friends, to counter balance my feed costs. However, several are afraid to buy, because they are afraid they will be eating 'baby chicks." I gather each day, they are completely fresh, and even I am not sure that they are fertile, because most of my roosters are very old and not interested in having a love life. All they want to do is sit on my lap and have treats. What can I tell these silly people?

 

[miss_thenorth]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

great pics to identify fertile vs infertile eggs.

 

[Nemo]

Just lecture them on the process of egg incubation... A chicken lays one egg per day until she feels she has enough to sit on. This may take a week or more, and the eggs don't start to develop until the hen sits on them constantly and raises their temperature to 100 degrees. It then takes twenty-one days of incubation for the chick to grow in the egg and hatch. You don't allow the hens to sit on the eggs because you collect them every day, so there is no way for a hen to get enough eggs to sit on, and they never develop. If the people are still a little iffy after that, you can pull out a bright flashlight and offer to candle the eggs.

Don't put too much stock in the "old rooster" not caring about doing his duty... One time is more than enough to fertilize every egg a hen will lay for a month.

 

[pascopol]

barbara j. :

I would love to sell my eggs to friends, to counter balance my feed costs. However, several are afraid to buy, because they are afraid they will be eating 'baby chicks." I gather each day, they are completely fresh, and even I am not sure that they are fertile, because most of my roosters are very old and not interested in having a love life. All they want to do is sit on my lap and have treats. What can I tell these silly people?

Consumer ignorance is unbelievable.

Tell them that eggs they are buying in "Health Food" stores, as well
as any "free range" eggs are most likely fertile, if they only want to eat infertile eggs they must make shure eggs come from "caged" hens.
That's most likely tasteless, cheapest white eggs found in Supermarkets.​

 

[chook pen jen]

I think the other posts are right,but I have found I usualy have no trouble selling eggs .Just let enough people know you have fresh eggs and you will find most people dont care about if the eggs are fertile or not

 

[DuckLady]

I never try to convince anyone. I tell them the facts and if they still want to waver, no problem. I have plenty of people that want to buy my eggs.