# Fertilization



## AdamA (May 1, 2013)

Sure this isn't a new question but I'm still learning. What's the best way to check eggs for fertilization?


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

Look for the bullseye on the yolk. All chicken eggs will have a white spot on the yolk, called the blastoderm, on them. In a fertile egg the blastoderm will have formed a faint ring around it. You have to look close, but once you have seen a fertile egg next to an infertile one it becomes easy to tell the difference. 

Welcome to the forum.


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## AdamA (May 1, 2013)

Thanks for the info at what frequency should I check the yolks? I think a bird can stay fertile for several days right ?


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## cherrypie2181 (Apr 27, 2013)

I read that if you have two roosters and what a certain one to to get chicks with you most keep the other rooster away for 16 days to ensure that the sperm from the unwanted rooster is completely outta the chickens system. So hopefully that gives you an idea how long they can keep having fertile eggs! Good luck!


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## AdamA (May 1, 2013)

Wow that's a long time thank you!


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

AdamA said:


> Thanks for the info at what frequency should I check the yolks? I think a bird can stay fertile for several days right ?


 If you want to be absolutely sure on which rooster did the fertilizing, the recommended time is 3 weeks. A hen stores the rooster's sperm. 
An interesting side note - I read an article not too long ago about a study that found a chicken hen is capable of "rejecting" sperm from a rooster that for whatever reason she finds inferior. 
Check them as often as you like. If you have very few eggs and you are wanting to incubate them without wasting any by cracking them open, you can incubate them for seven days and then candle to check for fertiles.


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## AdamA (May 1, 2013)

That's interesting! I'll have to read up on what to look for when candling I think I would rather do that than crack them.. Once I know what to look for that is LoL


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## cherrypie2181 (Apr 27, 2013)

I wasn't sure if our eggs where fertile because 2 of my hens had just come of age to lay! So I waited about 2 weeks and saw that they were being mounted by the rooster and then collected and incubated! I just did my 7 day egg candling and I saw good veins and the dark spots in all that I collected! So yes doing it that way is way better then cracking and it being fertile and not being able to do anything!


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

AdamA said:


> That's interesting! I'll have to read up on what to look for when candling I think I would rather do that than crack them.. Once I know what to look for that is LoL


In a normally developing egg you should see a black spot with a spider web of veins leading off of it:

http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/pfs32.htm


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## AdamA (May 1, 2013)

Thanks y'all for your help


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## cherrypie2181 (Apr 27, 2013)

You can also look on YouTube and people show there candled eggs! That's how I learned! The sad part for me is that they don't all hatch even when they seem to have grown just fine! But that's just nature!


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