Question: Can you hatch refrigerator eggs, especially if they already have chicks forming inside?

[Athenaeum]

Okay, so. Hi. My Aunt-in-Law gave us turkey eggs to eat and she has a tom with her lady turkeys, so definitely fertilized. I can also confirm the babies forming because she tends to leave her eggs out on the counter, unwashed mind you, and the weather has been very hot, one of the eggs I cracked to eat had a chick started.

So, if we have more chicks started, do you think we ought to try incubating?

 

[FrostRanger]

Certainly doesn't hurt to try, let us know how it goes if you do try

 

[Athenaeum]

Certainly doesn't hurt to try, let us know how it goes if you do try

Will do! If it doesn't work, well, we weren't planning on hatching more this year, anyways.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Refrigerated eggs tend to develop well initially but expect up to a 50% late embryonic death rate due to cold stress. Eggs with started embryos that go from warm day to fridge may die even sooner but if they go from warm day to incubator they may have a better chance, but best chance if they haven’t started to develop. Eggs don’t like extreme heat or cold, it can damage the blastoderm and every cell in the future embryo is derived from those few cells so a little genetic damage goes a long way! You can do it but don’t expect phenomenal hatch rates.

 

[Ridgerunner]

one of the eggs I cracked to eat had a chick started.

What did the started egg look like? Did you see veining or was it a bloody or dark spot? If it was blood vessels then a poult had started to develop. If there were no blood vessels then it was probably a blood spot or meat spot. You can read about them and see photos in this link.

Egg Quality Guide - The Poultry Site | The Poultry Site