Mr. Roo is rascally!

[KatGold]

My blue copper marans roo is 12 weeks old. I guess I hadn't realized how mature the old guy was getting. Tonight, while cracking eggs for a souffle, I noticed a whole bowl of fertilized eggs! Whoo-hoo! Go roo!

That's all fine and dandy, but I had a sudden fear. I sell my eggs to regular clients. The temperature has been in the hundreds here in Texas. I know that the eggs don't start incubating until a hen sets them or they go in the bator box, but what if you, like me, LIVE in a bator box? If it's 95 or more degrees outside and humid, couldn't the fertile eggs start incubating if left in the nest box for too long even if a hen isn't on them?

Please, let's discuss!

 

[zzzzac]

That's a great question we have the same problem here in East/central Fl. at least 95-100 and high humidity everyday.
I am curious to see what people say

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Gather the eggs every day. Never sell an egg taken from a place you know for sure you did not check the day before. Refrigerate the eggs the day you gathered them.

This way you'll never sell an egg that has started to develop.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

You can get a better idea of the speed of egg development here.

 

[KatGold]

Wow, A.T., so what you're saying is heck yes it can really start to develop even if a hen isn't setting it. And why not? Like I said, we live in conditions that are very much like an incubator.

Goodness!

We do check every day, but mistakes do happen. And today (the day after we realized we had Mr. Rascals) we took a trip. I am praying that my sitter will do a good job collecting.

Thanks for your input.
Kat