My eggs are fertile!!!!! What do I do now?

[sabianshepherds]

So I was curious as to whether my eggs where fertile. I butchered my barred rock roo well before my girl started laying. She's been laying for a week, the eggs are in the fridge, and there is a frizzle banty roo and a few cockerels (20-24 weeks old) . So I cracked an egg and got one with a bulls eye like the one in the picts in the sticky. The homemade incubator is at school, I'm going to bring it home tomorrow.

Now the eggs are in the fridge, can't use those anymore? How long can eggs be in the fridge before they won't be viable anymore? I wish I knew which ones were which.

Next I want to incubate at least three, but she's only laying 4 a week and she might not lay three in the next three days. How long can I keep these eggs (and at what temp), so I can at least have 3 or 4 in at once?

 

[rufus]

Well, my wife got fed up with my rooster's bad attitude. The guys that take care of our trees and yard are Zapotec Indians from the isthmus of Tehuantepec. She told them to take the rooster; she never wanted to see him again. I suspect he had a fatal encounter with some red chili that night.

Anyway, that happened on June 4th, and one of my hens is still laying eggs with a bulls eye. It has been five and a half months.

Rufus

 

[Sphinx]

I know that refrigerated eggs can still develop. My eggs were destined to be breakfast, and I'd just collected them and stuck them in the fridge. Then, all of my hens were killed, I took the week's worth of eggs out of the fridge and stuck them in the incubator. Because I'd planned on eating them, I hadn't really taken note of when they were laid, but I'd guess they were all laid within the past 10 days. They're still incubating, so I can't call it a successful hatch, but at day 13, 6 of the 7 are definitely developing.


I've heard that generally speaking, hens only remain fertile for about 3 weeks after the rooster goes away. I haven't had any personal experience though.

 

[sabianshepherds]

So it would be right about that time. And it is possible that they are pure, or the frizzle covered her. They are in a little tub, so the ones laid this Sun, Monday and Tues are on top of the ones laid last Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat. So I guess I have nothing to lose, and my sister in law will have to wait for her share of the eggs. I guess I will put them all in the incubator, and then candle them at 10 days? If they are not good I can feed them to the dogs.

 

[Sphinx]

You could wait 10 days to candle. Or you could do it around 4-5 days. I can usually see veining by then.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
You can store eggs up to 10 days. After that the hatch-ability decreases slowly.