Unexpected Embryo

[breezy2u]

So a couple of my hens have gone broody and even though I really don't want any more chickens I decided to let them sit on a couple. So I've been trying to collect new eggs as my others lay them but apparently I made a mistake. When I cracked an egg open for breakfast last weekend it contained a fairly mature embryo. It really saddened me and kind of grossed me out. So I'm going to stop collecting for a couple of weeks so I don't make the mistake again and will get rid of any eggs that haven't hatched after the first few chicks.

The problem is that I sometimes sell my eggs to coworkers and now I am worried that I may have picked up more than one and I don't want to traumatize anyone else. Outside of candling every single egg, are there any tricks to making sure you aren't getting eggs with little bodies in them? What do others do?

Also, will my hens stop being broody once they get a chick or will they keep trying until all eggs have hatched?

 

[PirateGirl]

You can mark the eggs that are meant to be in the nest so each day any new eggs won't be marked and you can collect them only.

Otherwise, candling is the only thing I know of.

 

[333113]

I candle every egg I sell or donate to the food bank or give away to my family. Besides embryos, it also helps me find cracks that I wouldn't see otherwise.