unfertilized eggs from broody hen safe to eat?

[meli229]

I have a broody hen but no rooster, and has been sitting for the past 5 days. I collect the eggs from her every evening when I get home from work, and they are HOT! Are these safe for me to eat? I wasn't sure if having them be sat on all day made them un-eatable.

Thanks for any advice!

Also, she was the grump of the coop, and had pecked on one other poor chickens till she bled. With her on the nest, the other seems to be healing. Is it ok for me to let the broody hen sit with no intention of hatching, or is this just mean

?

Will this discourage her from a future clutch when I might have a rooster or the space to deal with chicks?

thanks!!!!!

-melissa

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wasn't sure if having them be sat on all day made them un-eatable.

If you collect them on a daily basis, they are fine. Even if they were fertile, if you collect them every day, they would be fine.

Is it ok for me to let the broody hen sit with no intention of hatching, or is this just mean
Will this discourage her from a future clutch when I might have a rooster or the space to deal with chicks?

I personally think it is cruel to just leave a broody. Either give her some eggs to hatch or break her from being broody. They do not eat, drink, or exercise much and lose weight while broody. A broody on a nest is weakened and more susceptible to parasites, especially roost mites.

I don't know but I doubt it would discourage her in the future. Some people have posted on here that they have to break some of their hens from being broody on a regular basis.

I'll post a link on how to break a broody, but you should be able to find some fertile eggs near you if you really want to. Ask at the feed store, put an add in Craigslist, call your county extension agent (in the phone book under county government), or find your state thread in the "Where am I? Where are you?" section in this forum and put a post there.

Good luck!

Break a Broody Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

 

[secuono]

If you do not pick up eggs everyday, and she sat on them for say 2-7 days and they are infertile, can you eat those 2-7 day old heated eggs??

 

[vnploveschickens]

Hi Melissa,

As long as you pick up the eggs EVERY day, your eggs should be fine.

Its been my experience that its nearly impossible to break a broody hen. I have a couple of orpington hens that just will not break.

The first time, I just put 4 or 5 eggs under her. Every AM and sometimes in the PM, I would get her off the nest so that they would go poop outside the coop....that huge stinky poop. They'd grab a snack, water, dustbath maybe....and head right back to the nest. Every few days,I'd even bring her some scrambled egg, yogurt, BOSS just for her. Both hens stayed healthy. At the end though, none of the eggs hatched.

Whether you have fertilized eggs or not, I just let her broodiness run its course. To me, it was easier just to remove them from the nest once or twice a day.

Last year though, the 2 orps sat on 3 eggs each, and did hatch 2 chicks each. They both made really terrific moms. And it was awesome to watch the hens raise the chicks. Much better than me!

I live in Cotati, not far from you. Good luck, let us know how your hen does.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
On paper, yes you can. But any infertiles I have in the incubator become dog food. I'm not eating them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In some cultures partially developed eggs are a delicacy. But I agree with Rebel. I'm not eating them after seven days in the incubator, fertile or not.

 

[aggie9296]

Best way to tell if they are edible, crack them open. Rotten eggs are pretty obvious!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
Im sure not eating Balut

 

[aggie9296]

Always crack into a bowl first! But I have trouble keeping out bits of shell, too.