fertilized egg?eat or let hatch?

[Ortiz5954]

Was wondering what you all though of this egg,looks fertile to me but first time I candled one.Also curious does one usually let them hatch or eat them.Any general rule of thumb?

 

[rIrs roost]

Was a hen sitting on it ?

 

[appps]

Sort of two different things, fertilised eggs for eating you can tell they are fertilised by looking for a little bullseye on the yolk when you crack it. They are just eggs you collect each day like normal and use like normal. If you need eggs to cook, Eat away. If you need more chickens hatch away.

Fertilised eggs that are still in the shell would need to have been under a hen or in an incubator for 3-4 days before you will be able to see the veins growing to tell through the shell they are fertile. I've never been hungry enough to eat an egg kept warm at 37dg for 4 days lol. Mind you eating unhatched but fully formed embryos is considered a delicacy in some cultures, not one I shall be trying anytime soon though . If they reach that point and I didn't want to hatch chickens it would go in my bin.

 

[Ortiz5954]

Not that I seen,my daughter had been taking care of them for me because I was at hospital with her brother few days.Two different hens she s aid have been in nesting boxes.I opened coop and they came running to me.Eggs probably sitting there for few days she shorter than the boxes and the hens hid them very well.

 

[Ortiz5954]

Thanks

 

[Birdrain92]

Was wondering what you all though of this egg,looks fertile to me but first time I candled one.Also curious does one usually let them hatch or eat them.Any general rule of thumb?

You can eat a fertile or non fertile egg. Both a perfectly safe. You can eat the egg or incubate it. Though if you're in the Northern Hemisphere it's starting to get colder and not suitable for chicks unless raised inside the house for a while or with an added heat source right for the chick.

 

[MeepBeep]

Fertilised eggs that are still in the shell would need to have been under a hen or in an incubator for 3-4 days before you will be able to see the veins growing to tell through the shell they are fertile.

On light colored egg shells with a good candling light and knowing what you are looking for you can see veins on day 2, by day 4 you should have the entire spider looking vein network and embryo glaring back at you...

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens - I think I would pass on the egg not knowing how old it is.

 

[NickyKnack]

Hello!

Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to joined the BYC family. I look forward to seeing you around BYC.

 

[appps]

On light colored egg shells with a good candling light and knowing what you are looking for you can see veins on day 2, by day 4 you should have the entire spider looking vein network and embryo glaring back at you...

Maybe but Im guessing from their post being a first timer looking they arent knowing what they are looking for . I know Ive hatched twice now and I still struggle to see conclusively even on day 4, I never throw an egg till at least day 10