When they start laying

[spiral_72]

I've been poking around here for some time. I can't seem to find answers..... I've looked at the FAQ's, searches, Google searches.....probably because it's so ignorant. At the risk of embarrasment:

My wife and I would like to eat the eggs when our chickens start laying:

Does it matter if an egg is fertilized or not? Both have the same texture, look, taste with no suprises????

If I grab the egg THE DAY it was laid, throw it in the fridge..... does the cold prevent a fertilized egg from developing any further? Or is there a shelf life for a fertilized egg?


I'm really very new to this "obviously". I was always under the impression that eggs produced for consumption meant NO ROOSTERS.... We bought some "farm fresh" eggs from a country store a couple years ago, to find something that ruined breakfast. But from my reading, I don't find that..... Or do I have it all wrong?

Thanks, try to keep the laughing to yourselves.....

 

[gryeyes]

There's no difference in flavor between fertilized and non-fertilized eggs. Or in the nutrition of either. Same-oh, same-oh. Just the fertilized ones MAY hatch if incubated artificially or naturally under a hen.

I have an "accidental" rooster, so the eggs I gather are fertilized. I gather them once a day on week-days when I get home from work in the evenings, and about 3 times a day on Saturdays and Sundays. That's just because I like finding them and complimenting my girls on the great work they do.

You shouldn't find anything icky in fertilized eggs unless they've either started to develop some days past laying, or - really icky! - NOT started to develop after a week or so and you just found 'em.

And I wouldn't laugh at ANY newbie's questions. I remember being so ignorant I thought I'd managed to get all roosters - even when I'd purchased chicks out of the "hen" bins at the feed store, when the chicks began to develop combs. *I* thought only roosters grew combs! How dumb was that???

 

[Enders Farms]

your eggs may or may not be fertilized. The only way to tell is by finding a tiny white-ish bulls-eye in the yolk. This in no way affects the taste or texture of your eggs. Gather eggs daily and they will not develop unless incubated. I leave mine unwashed on the counter for over a week and they are wonderful. The eggs I sell are washed and cartoned and placed in the fridge. Washing eggs removes the"bloom" and they will spoil faster at room temp. Hope this helps!!

 

[spiral_72]

Good night that was a fast response!! How many people are on here anyways!!??

Gryeyes: Really? So our "gross" egg must have been unfertilized and found after a week or so. That doesn't make it any more unpleasant, but it's comforting and makes sense.

Enders Farms: "Gather eggs daily and they will not develop unless incubated. I leave mine unwashed on the counter for over a week and they are wonderful. The eggs I sell are washed and cartoned and placed in the fridge. Washing eggs removes the"bloom" and they will spoil faster at room temp. Hope this helps!!"

No kidding!? They won't develop sitting on the counter!? and A WEEK!!! wow.... I'll have to google the "bloom" as you call it. That's a new one for me.


That's great. Thank you both! I'll have more questions, but I promise I'll read a lot more before I ask!