Putting refrigerated eggs under a broody.

[bobbi-j]

Old Faithful has gone broody for the first time this spring. She's my only green egg layer and has been exposed to my EE cross rooster. Over the weekend I had contemplated ordering chicks from the feed store to slip under her sometime around her hatch date, but found out today that I need to order a minimum of 15. I really don't want to order that many, as I don't wish to brood any this year, and she would not be able to cover them all. As I was thinking about this, I had also thought about saving her last 3 eggs she laid last week to put under her. They were still on the counter, so I figured I'd just leave them there until I made up my mind. Unfortunately, my DH can't read my mind (that might be a good thing sometimes) and was being helpful on Sunday and put them in the fridge. I have read that refrigerated eggs can hatch, so I am putting those 3 eggs and the 7 largest brown eggs under her to see what happens. We'll have 1/2 refrigerated eggs, and 1/2 counter eggs. If nothing hatches, I'll go to the feed store and get a few out of the bin for her.

 

[Chicken Chat]

It couldn't hurt. I did it many years ago and the chick hatched. That egg had been in the fridge two days but I wanted an even number under one of my girls so I figured why not. I marked the egg so I would know which it was. Good luck!

 

[bobbi-j]

It couldn't hurt. I did it many years ago and the chick hatched. That egg had been in the fridge two days but I wanted an even number under one of my girls so I figured why not. I marked the egg so I would know which it was. Good luck!

That's what I figure. The eggs aren't costing me anything (except feed for the hens, of course) so why not? The worst that can happen is they won't hatch. I also marked the refrigerated eggs so I'd know.

 

[Chicken Chat]

It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[chickenboy277]

let us know if the refrigeration process worked or not, I haven't heard anything regarding putting fertilized eggs in the fridge and still hatching them but I also haven't done much research into the hatching/egg process.. Good luck! hopefully they all hatch

 

[bobbi-j]

When I locked the chickens up for the night tonight, I decided to try to candle the eggs with my phone flashlight. I got 8/10 candled. Of those eight, three were my refrigerated green ones. One of them was definitely not developing, the other two looked like there might be some veining. They weren't clear like the first one anyway. All 5 of my brown eggs look like they're developing, and a couple of those were refrigerated, too. So far, the experiment looks promising.

 

[tinakevin]

I also did the same as an experiment. I put 2 refrigerated eggs under a broody along with non refrigerated and 1 of the two hatched. It's a beautiful partridge silkie/barnvelder mix

 

[bobbi-j]

I also did the same as an experiment. I put 2 refrigerated eggs under a broody along with non refrigerated and 1 of the two hatched. It's a beautiful partridge silkie/barnvelder mix

Good to know!

I candled again tonight. Had one clear - it was a refrigerated one, the one I suspected a few days ago. I got rid of that one. I also have a non-refrigerated one that might be a quitter. I'm not sure enough on that one to do anything permanent with it yet. I'll give it a few more days to be sure.

 

[tinakevin]

So u still have refrigerated eggs that r developing. What day r they on. It's so exciting to see what happens when we experiment

 

[bobbi-j]

So u still have refrigerated eggs that r developing. What day r they on. It's so exciting to see what happens when we experiment

Yes - 4 of the 5 refrigerated eggs are still developing. We are on day 13. The one I think may be a quitter is not a refrigerated egg. It will be fun to see how many hatch.