It's a little too late....

[SomeChickinTN]

If you're concerned noise from a rooster will bother them, a carton of eggs once in a while might not be the worst way to keep things peaceful with the neighbors.

That brings to mind a question...if you are collecting eggs every day, you only need to check them before eating them by cracking them in a cup, right? Even if they are fertilized, there shouldn't be any development unless they are under a broody?

 

[N F C]

That brings to mind a question...if you are collecting eggs every day, you only need to check them before eating them by cracking them in a cup, right? Even if they are fertilized, there shouldn't be any development unless they are under a broody?

Right, no development unless a broody has been sitting on them or they are in an incubator. And fertilized eggs are perfectly fine to eat. The main reason I crack eggs into a cup is because I'm a messy egg cracker and don't want shell in my eggs

 

[SomeChickinTN]

Right, no development unless a broody has been sitting on them or they are in an incubator. And fertilized eggs are perfectly fine to eat. The main reason I crack eggs into a cup is because I'm a messy egg cracker and don't want shell in my eggs

Ok. I just wondered because I've read people here say that a blood spot won't hurt, but when we used to get eggs from my father in law, he said you couldn't eat them.

 

[N F C]

Ok. I just wondered because I've read people here say that a blood spot won't hurt, but when we used to get eggs from my father in law, he said you couldn't eat them.

They won't hurt, just maybe a bit gross to some. All sorts of strange things can happen to eggs in the development stage. This is an interesting article from the Learning Center:
Common egg quality problems

Like so many other topics, people have learned a lot over time and the "old wives tales" have been proven incorrect. For example, some people still believe you have to have a rooster for a hen to lay eggs! I even had a farm store employee try to tell me that one

 

[ShannonR]

But I'm having second thoughts about having chickens. I'm afraid of missing something in securing the coop, and losing them all to predators. I'm afraid of doing deep litter/compost wrong and attracting smell and angry neighbors. I'm afraid that if I have to clean it out every day it'll be too unmanageable with having a large family and a toddler like velcro. Afraid that chick integration will not go well.

And also because I have all these grand long term urban homesteading plans, and I have no idea what is realistic planning for the first and second year. I'll end up jumping in with both feet with chickens and garden beds, and flower beds, etc...And at that point I will get overwhelmed....As much as I have researched, I feel like I know nothing.

It will be okay! There are endless approaches to chicken raising. I also have a 'Velcro toddler'(LOL) and am 8 months pregnant with a second little boy... and my farm and chicken housing all burned to the ground in a massive wildfire a few months ago. And.... I have chickens!! We were given some American gamefowl shortly after losing all the poultry in the wildfire, and they run loose around the place, fend almost totally for themselves (with the help of several good watch dogs). I know some folks would find this to be horribly wrong of me, but the chickens seem to really enjoy their lives, and except for some chicks that hatched out in cold, wet weather they have all survived for months now.

My point is, chicken keeping is either as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. Have fun!!

 

[N F C]

My point is, chicken keeping is either as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. Have fun!!

Good point!