New to eggs

[aypm12815]

Hello all!!! I just got my first egg today from my silkie hen... she is one and a half years old... she just hatched babies in mid july 2020... this is the first time she has had an egg while with me. Im brand new to this... my question is.... once they lay an egg and if it's fertile (I have a rooster that had "play time " with her MULTIPLE TIMES).. shouldnt she be laying on the egg to keep it warm?? What happens if she doesn't?? Is there a time frame to where she should lay on it before you eat it or toss it??

 

[JaeG]

After being broody and raising chicks she won't be wanting to do that again too soon. She will lay for awhile before deciding whether she wants to sit again. It might be soon, or it might be in a few months time. So eat the eggs for now, though you could keep a weeks worth of the freshest somewhere cool so you have some ready to give her if she does decide to sit and you want her to hatch again and you specifically want to hatch her babies.

 

[aypm12815]

How can I find out if it fertile without eating it. If its fertile I want to hatch it but if not then I will eat it.

 

[JaeG]

Unfortunately the only way to know is to crack it open. On the yolk there is always a little spot. If the egg has been fertilised there will be a ring around that spot making it look like a bullseye.

Hens can actually store sperm for 2 weeks after mating only once with a rooster. There are even reports of hens still producing fertile eggs up to a month after being separated from the rooster, though in that case it may not be every single egg.

So if you crack open one to find it is fertile (it's still perfectly fine to eat it) you'll know your rooster has successfully done his job and you can be pretty sure any eggs you save will be fertile.

 

[aypm12815]

Ya im not ready to do that ... i think ill see if she has anymore eggs and go from there. I may incubate them if possible.