Important question about refrigerating fertile eggs!!

[gritsar]

I had a bunch of eggs that I saved for my family's use - I keep the "ugly" eggs for us and sell only the pretty ones to my customers. For a variety of reasons we haven't eaten many eggs lately and these eggs were getting old; like around 4 weeks old.
I decided to scramble them up today and feed them back to my hens. I'm used to seeing fertile eggs as my roo is a very busy boy. However, when I cracked these open I noticed that in almost every one of them the blastoderm (sp?) was developed to the point that it was large and raised up off the yolk. In addition, the chalazae were gathered tightly into a ball and close to the blastoderm; instead of strung out.
Unless I'm wrong in my guess, these eggs were partially developed. What gives?
I collect my eggs regularly and refrigerate immediately.
I thought refrigeration completely stopped the development process.
Was I wrong?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I think refrigeration stops the process completely.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
So that doesn't explain why this eggs looked developed.

 

[skittle]

no worrys ...
it is possible to use eggs from fridge but fertilty is ultra low in about a week it hits -0 fertilty if not less (i have hached 1 egg from fridge i acc put 2 eggs i wanted to hatch into fridge for almost 2 days and throught wth lets try um and one achelly made it
i get meny a egg like this from fridge or from eggbox on counter ect (depending on how my chucks are laying)
i cant explane the the reson but i kno this is a norm @my place

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
But that's the thing. These eggs were in the fridge for weeks and they were partially developed IF a tightly knotted chalazae and a developed blastoderm is a sign of a developing egg. That's what I don't know for sure.
Is that a sign of a developing egg?

 

[jeslewmazer]

"

When the egg is laid, some embryonic development has occurred and usually stops until proper cell environmental conditions are established for incubation to resume.

"
stated at http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_chicks_embryo.html
So, just because it is fertile does not mean that it is developing in the fridge. It is improbable that it would. But if took out and incubated then it could start developing but success in normal hatch rate would be drastically decreased.​

 

[gritsar]

I guess I'm not asking my question in the right way. How is it that fertile eggs partially developed in my frig? I know the temp. in the frig. is where it's suppose to be.

ETA: They were developing - if an extra large blastoderm and twisted, clumped chalazae is the sign of early development and they were refrigerated from the time I brought them in from the coop; which would have been within hours of them being laid.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Does it look like any pic at this website?
http://www.vincentchow.net/1239/development-of-a-chicken-egg

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
No. The blastoderm was raised, but still looked like a bullseye, with no blood whatsoever. The chalazae looked like a ball of white yarn. Out of 18 eggs, probably 10 looked like I just described.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Well....then they are not developing, but why blastoderm was raised I have no idea. I have see it in a few fresh eggs but don't know if it is just something that happens or if a certain hen does it. From what I understand the chalazae has nothing really to do with development but it does keep the yolk in place.