To eat or not to eat?

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Commercial egg producers probably sell the occasional fertile egg. Since 10-15% of sexed pullets are cockerels, there's probably roosters in battery cages...

I highly doubt this. The commercial brown egg layers are sex links and I have never heard of a case where someone ordered sexed day old White Leghorn chicks and got males instead of females or vice versa. And even if somehow some cockerels slipped through the cracks and ended up in battery cages there I doubt that there is even room for mating.

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

I doubt that there is even room for mating.

LOL...I don't know about this. I have always been a Big Guy and I once Managed in the Back Seat of a 70's Beetle!...JJ

 

[Trish1974]

LOL...I don't know about this. I have always been a Big Guy and I once Managed in the Back Seat of a 70's Beetle!...JJ

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I highly doubt this. The commercial brown egg layers are sex links and I have never heard of a case where someone ordered sexed day old White Leghorn chicks and got males instead of females or vice versa. And even if somehow some cockerels slipped through the cracks and ended up in battery cages there I doubt that there is even room for mating.

I have heard of cases of people getting leghorn cockerels instead of pullets. Leghorns aren't any easier to vent sex than other breeds, minus bantams.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have heard of cases of people getting leghorn cockerels instead of pullets. Leghorns aren't any easier to vent sex than other breeds, minus bantams.

Leghorns raised for commercial production are raised to point of lay prior to being transferred to the battery house, and males would be known and removed ( processed for pet food/other poultry based products) well before the birds are in the battery cages

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Leghorns raised for commercial production are raised to point of lay prior to being transferred to the battery house, and males would be known and removed ( processed for pet food/other poultry based products) well before the birds are in the battery cages

Oops, forgot about that. My mistake.

 

[chrissynemetz]

It is 100% fine to eat fertilized eggs. You would never know the difference. I've had roosters in my flock my entire life, so all the eggs I eat, sell, or give away are fertilized

 

[ShannonR]

I feel the need to mention that some folks on this forum have successfully hatched eggs from grocery stores, so obviously store eggs can be fertilized as well! I believe it was Trader Joe's eggs, if I am remembering this right.

Your eggs are 100% okay to eat, fertilized or not.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Fertilized eggs are just as tasty as unfertilized ones. If you're concerned about accidental embryos, just make sure to pick up eggs daily and ideally keep them refrigerated so there's no chance of temperatures getting hot enough for development.