What are the odds? Creating some Rhode Island Reds!

rhetoric

In the Brooder
11 Years
Mar 28, 2008
78
1
41
Western New York
I have a friend who wants to hatch out some eggs for a school project. I, of course, have eggs.

Question #1. I have 16 hens and one very busy RIR Roo (if you know what I mean). What are the odds that the eggs I collect are fertilized? I've read that I can't know for sure, short of opening the eggs. Would you recommend opening up some of the eggs just to get an idea (I have rose combs, leghorns, a bantam, and some americans, etc.)?

Question #2. How can I tell which of the eggs belong the RIR hens? I know RIR are brown, but I also have some Dominiques so I can't tell which eggs belong to the RIRs. It does seem that the brown eggs are either a darker brown or a faded brown. I'm speculating that the darker are the RIR, but don't really know.

Since the chickens are coming back to me, I'd just as soon have more RIRs not Domineds or Rhodeiques. Any other advice I'd appreciate (short of buying fertilized eggs).

Paul
 
I have had good luck in the past with 1 roo and 20 hens, about 85% were fertilized, no way to tell who is giving what egg unless you watch them. You will get a nice mix of good egg layers, enjoy!
 
Can you isolate the RI hens and the Roo for a short while? Then you know the eggs are theirs. Short of spending the day monitoring the nest boxes, I can't think of any other way.

Wayne
 
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You didn`t say you had rir hens, only a rir roo. If I had rir hens and one rir roo, and wanted pure rir`s, I would separate the rir`s so I was sure where the eggs were comming from. FYI, you cannot tell a fertile egg by opening it. One/sixteen is a stretch, but he may be able to swing it. rodandbrandy has a good point about having some good layers, no matter what they are mixed with.
 

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