Eating fertilised chicken eggs
I've posed this "tip" as a question because I'm often asked "if I have a rooster will my eggs turn into chicks and are the eggs safe to eat?"
As strange as this question may seem, it's actually a very good one because fertilised eggs can indeed start growing an embryo without proper incubation, and whilst this embryo might not fully develop into a chicken it certainly can ruin a batch of eggs?
Here are some tips to avoid your eggs (for consumption) developing:
1. Collect the eggs daily – Sounds logical? But, it happens to us all – we forget to collect the eggs sometimes (or the kids do). This is normally ok but if you happen to have a broody hen and she is a good "sitter" then she may well have started the embryo growing. It takes only 24 hours of constant incubation at 100 degrees Fahrenheit 0F to trigger embryo growth.
2. Refrigeration – Placing the eggs in a fridge at around a standard 4 0C will ensure no embryo will develop. Under perfect conditions, if an embryo had started it is possible it could continue to grow without incubation if the eggs were left on a bench etc, however, this would be highly unlikely in most instances. Still, the way to be certain no embryo will develop is by whacking the eggs in the fridge.
3. Get rid of your rooster – If you are not planning on breeding, then keeping a rooster is hard to justify. Without fertilisation there can be no baby (divine intervention excepted) so either give away, sell, or eat your rooster.
Do you have more tips or comments about fertilised chicken eggs? Place them below in the comments section.
