Can anyone help me know what breed and gender this is?

[otlindalee]

 

[Grind Hard Farm]

That is a rooster

 

[otlindalee]

oh no! So how do i know if eggs are fertile when my hens begin to lay?

 

[Grind Hard Farm]

oh no! So how do i know if eggs are fertile when my hens begin to lay?

I can usually tell by cracking eggs open to eat. In fertilized eggs, you will see a white spot known as, "blastoderm." You may even see some blood, like I do. It is perfectly safe to eat fertilized eggs. Here's a picture of a fertilized egg:

 

[otlindalee]

If i collect it and fridge it immediately a chick will not grow? What do i do if i want to try to let it hatch? How do i know if it is fertile before cracking it? I have so many questions now that i have a rooster i am lost and worried.

 

[scyllarus]

If i collect it and fridge it immediately a chick will not grow? What do i do if i want to try to let it hatch? How do i know if it is fertile before cracking it? I have so many questions now that i have a rooster i am lost and worried.

The nice part is that you can eat the egg whether it's fertilized or not, so if you don't want chicks, just go about your chicken-keeping as if you didn't have a rooster.

If you do want chicks:
1. There is no way to tell if the egg is fertile before cracking or incubating it.
2. If you collect and fridge it, a refrigerator is often too cold and dry for optimal egg-storing for hatching eggs. This doesn't mean the egg is 100% dead, but it does mean that it's less likely to remain viable for hatching.
3. There's articles about the best ways to keep hatching eggs on the site, so I'd recommend checking them out as well. If I recall correctly (I keep quail, not chickens), it's recommended to store eggs pointy-side down in a cool area (50-60F, I believe ~40-60% humidity?) and to turn them daily to keep the membranes healthy. Otherwise, it's best to store the eggs on their sides. Again, storing the eggs correctly doesn't guarantee live chicks, but it does increase your chances for the egg to hatch (and vice versa - if you store them poorly, there's a chance they hatch anyway if you incubate them).

 

[Grind Hard Farm]

If i collect it and fridge it immediately a chick will not grow? What do i do if i want to try to let it hatch? How do i know if it is fertile before cracking it? I have so many questions now that i have a rooster i am lost and worried.

Don't worry. You are correct, if you put the egg(s) in the fridge they will not grow, they need heat. If you would want chicks I suggest getting an incubator. You could also leave the eggs for your hens to sit on. To tell if an egg is fertilized you can do something called, "candling". On day 4 of incubating or keeping the egg(s) warm, you can candle the egg.

 

[Yardmom]

Why do you want to know if the eggs are fertile? The blood streak mentioned above would only be if the is kept warm for more than 24 hours. Room temperature or cooler will most certainly keep chicks from growing in the eggs.
If you want chicks in the future the eggs need to heated in an incubator or you need a broody hen. That is a hen that desires to sit on eggs 24/7. Broodiness is controlled by hormones and does not happen to all hens.

 

[otlindalee]

Thank you. How old are roosters when they start to mate?

 

[Grind Hard Farm]

Thank you. How old are roosters when they start to mate?

It depends on the breed. Typically, 4 months of age