Monday, November 23, 2015

How Do I Know Which Eggs are Fertilized?

Good question:  How do I know which eggs are fertilized? 


Answer:  If you have roosters, the eggs are fertilized.  


Most likely.  If you live on a farm, you probably eat fertilized eggs.

We - I suspect almost all chicken keepers- collect eggs each day.  Why?  Because an egg may be fertilized but it won't begin to become a chick embryo in that egg until the hen starts to sit on that egg.  Or until you put the egg into an incubator.  Until heat is added, no chick will develop.

So- a hen may lay eggs for about ten days in one spot...and when she has a collection, she'll sit down, warm them up, turn them and rarely leave that nest for 21 days until the chicks hatch.  Fascinating, right?