What am I looking for when I put the light under my eggs?

[Goober1201]

Hi again! Sorry for all the STUPID post and questions, but I'm trying to learn..lol.
What am I looking for when I hold my eggs under a light?
How should I wash my eggs?
I hear so many different ways to, I just want a simple way. We eat eggs very fast in this family.
If my egg is fertile how will I know?
If my chicken is in heat how do I know?
How log till a rooster can mate?
And can I just put the egg back with her if it fertile so I can have a baby chick?

Sorry for all the questions, I was gonna go bye a book, but I figured I had some SMART chicken people here and so far I have had some great responses and help from this site.. Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[Marty1876]

Hi again! Sorry for all the STUPID post and questions, but I'm trying to learn..lol. Your fine.
What am I looking for when I hold my eggs under a light? If your not incubating, there is no reason to candle an egg. If your trying to hatch them, when THey've been in the bator for a week, you candle them (use bright small LED flashlight) to see if there are veins growing. Looks like a spider inside, really.
How should I wash my eggs? Don't wash if your going to hatch it. If your going to eat them, just rinse them off good. If your squimish, soak is very lightly soapy water a few minutes, then rinse. refridergate.
I hear so many different ways to, I just want a simple way. We eat eggs very fast in this family.
If my egg is fertile how will I know? she lives with a fertile male. When you brake open breakfast eggs, watch for a white speck on the egg yolk. Thats fertile. (ok to eat)
If my chicken is in heat how do I know? Chickens do go into heat like a dog. They start to lay (male or no male, either is ok) and if there is a fertile male, they'll have fertile eggs. But, having fertile eggs doesn't mean you have to hatch them, or that you can't eat them. Just gather 2x a day, so that they don't stay in heat long enough to begin incubation. That'll leave red spots in the egg. Gather, rinse, refridgerate up to a week (or longer) There is no need for males in order to get eggs. I'm not kidding.
How log till a rooster can mate? 3-6 monthes of age
And can I just put the egg back with her if it fertile so I can have a baby chick? The hen must be broody, or she won't care about her eggs at all. Most hens never go broody. When shes older, maybe a year or so, she may go broody. IF a hen sits, and refuses to leave the nest for 3 or more days (keep get eggs from under her anyway daily) then you may tuck a dozen or so fertile eggs under her some night, and she'll hatch (if she STAYS broody-thats the trick) in 28 days.

Sorry for all the questions, I was gonna go bye a book, but I figured I had some SMART chicken people here and so far I have had some great responses and help from this site.. Thanks again everyone!!!

My answers in red. Good luck!

 

[Goober1201]

OM-GOODNESS THANKS SO MUCH!! hahaha... And I love how you just matched it with all mine..lol. I do have one that was super broody, and had like 12 eggs under her but it was bad, it smelt real bad and she wouldn't move for 3 days, it was around the time the weather was spitting out 100* heat. I don't think they had anything in them, if they did I feel bad cuz I threw them all away. Some had little bubble stuff on it and they stunk, that was about 2 maybe 3 weeks ago, and she just laid for the first time since. All my other girls should start in about 2 more weeks?

 

[Marty1876]

I don't know. How old are they? Chickens start to lay around 5 1/2 monthes, more or less..... That said, sometime around 14 monthes they moult, and stop laying for a few weeks, then back on duty another year. If your want your hen to go broody when everyone is laying fertile full sized eggs, stick some "fake" eggs or porcelin doornobs (or something else the right color and basic weight and size) into a next, and if shes sitting it, give her eggs again, mark the calander, and toss them out at day 32, if they havn't hatched yet. If they all go bad again, either she's leaving the nest or your roo isn't fertile. (some aren't) If you have only one roo, this is more likely to be problematic.

 

[terryg]

To answer one of your questions about egg washing - keep your nesting boxes clean and you shouldn't have to do much more than wipe one or two eggs off, and only rarely. As far as safe egg handling and storage goes, I've written a whole FAQ about that:

http://hencam.com/faq/handling-and-storing-eggs/

 

[Goober1201]

thanks for all the info!! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! I just put plastic gulf balls in each nest. The same older hen is taking goood care of it..lol. She doesn't want you near it at all..lol So maybe if that's the case i might be able to have some babies.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Here's how to tell fertile vs infertile.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures/0_50

 

[ChickSter99]

My answers in red. Good luck!

Marty, that was perfect info. Spoken like a true "Chicken Teacher".

Good luck with getting some babies Goober1201

 

[Goober1201]

Thanks so much.. And yes I LOVE THE PEOPLE ON THIS SITE!!! My hen is YELLING at me when I went to look in the coop again for the 2nd time today... so maybe we might have some babies? we will see!!...lol

 

[ChickSter99]

Thanks so much.. And yes I LOVE THE PEOPLE ON THIS SITE!!! My hen is YELLING at me when I went to look in the coop again for the 2nd time today... so maybe we might have some babies? we will see!!...lol

Keep us posted! I want to know. We make 'chicken buddies' pretty quick on here (or at least I like to think I do). lol. Mine aren't laying yet but I can't wait!