I just set 42 TJs Fertile Eggs! >>>>>Final Count 32!!!!

[GardeNerd]

Quote:
Hy-Line hens are what the vast majority of large commercial egg producers (including T.J.'s producers) use here in the U.S. and more than 50 other countries. For anyone not familiar with Hy-Line, a number of their products would commonly be called Leghorns. Hy-Line has bred a few different superior layer Leghorn varieties. One was bred in particular to be really docile and easy to manage, the Hy-Line W-36. I am pretty sure that is what my T.J.'s chicken is since she is so docile in comparison to some common hatchery Leghorns.

When Joey hatched I learned everything I could about the company and the two white egg layer lines she could have been from. I wanted to see what we were getting ourselves into. Therefore, I kept track of Joey's weight as she developed in comparison to Hy-Line's two W charts, and she is right on target with their stats on the "product" of W-36 and she is most definitely docile. The lady that took our extra chicks said hers hens were really easy going as well, they just developed combs a few weeks earlier than Joey. They all started laying right around 19 weeks, too. I believe I have a Hy-Line W-36 from T.J.'s., and she is still a Leghorn.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
I would LOVE that but then you gotta take at least 21 of them

I'd take the 21!!

You just make DH's day - he was worried when I read Cindiloohoo's response and started drooling with little hypnotic spirals in my eyes...

 

[MuranoFarms]

So lets say all 42 hatch.....

How do you think all those extra roo's will process? Since they've been bred for their laying ability, I'm just wondering how meaty the boys would be. Sorta thinking out loud. I really want a TJ hen and I just know I'll get some spare roo's. I'm getting away with getting so many chickens by promising DH we'll process some.

I did manage to avoid TJ's yesterday, but only because I decided to set the TJ eggs when my D'uccle eggs arrive. Hopefully the indoor brooder set will have moved to the coop brooder by then.

 

[quailbrain]

Ok..... stupid questions coming.......

Why does Trader Joes sell Fertile eggs? Is there a reason they are desirable for.... well other than people who want to try and hatch them???

 

[greathorse]

I can answer that question. There folks that beleive that a more holistic diet involves eating foods in their most whole form. This would include fertile eggs. Some folks beleive that (though not measurable) fertile eggs provide a more complete nutritional profile.

All of this is of course subjective and debatable, but those are the reasons I have been exposed to after some 30+ years in the natural and organic food retail business.

 

[greathorse]

Quote:
Those extra roos (especially if the eggs are white) will provide so little meat for your consumption that it will be hardly worth the effort of processing. They will likely be Leghorns and specifically bred for egg production which means they target a very small body with egg laying being the entire focus. Hence virtually all Leghorn males hitting the grinder the day they are hatched.

You will be hatching a bird that is the result of a very sophisticated breeding program of male lines and female lines being kept separate and then bred for this terminal cross which is the egg that winds up on the shelf.

I am not being unkind or judgemental, but frankly see no reason (other than the novelty of it) to hatch TJ fertile eggs.

If ya want to do it no problem for me, but it just doesn't add up for me.

JMO

 

[slickchik]

Quote:
I am doing it only for the novelty. Why not?

 

[MuranoFarms]

Thanks greathorse, that answers it perfectly! I want to try hatching the TJ's eggs to get a hen, hopefully a high producing white egg layer. My kids haven't gotten around to the idea of brown eggs so I plan on sneaking in the white ones as store bought. lol Of course I know the chances of getting a hen are 50/50 so I was just wondering what to do with the roo's. I also want to work in small numbers and don't want to place a big hatchery order or wait till April when my feed store starts carrying day olds.

 

[MarriedToTheFarm]

I'll be following along, good luck! I just set 24 eggs in the incubator from my own chickens but many of them were ones I pulled out of the fridge. I didn't think ahead to keep them out and am so anxious to try out the bator that I figured what the heck, we'll see what happens. If all yours hatch then mine should hatch too, right! I can't wait to see how yours do.

 

[quailbrain]

Thanks greathorse that was a great answer. I'll come out from under the chair I was hiding under now

I guess this thread took me by surprise. As a kid I had thought about well what if you... I guess I didn't realize you could even purchase fertile eggsat a grocery store though i never had a need to try and find them. As a kid we had cracked open an egg or two over the years that had been developing... do you see that much with these eggs. It sounds like some of you have had success at this.

We have all sorts of stores specilizing in organic as I live in the hippie capitol of the US (and thats not a bad thing either) so I guess next time I'm shopping I'll be looking for eggs marked fertile.........