# Fertile?



## MC79 (Apr 13, 2017)

Since finding out that one of my silkies turned out to be a rooster, I've been checking the yolks of the eggs I make, to look for the telltale "bullseye". I haven't seen any until this morning, or at least I think, which is why I'm looking for confirmation. When making my daughter eggs this morning, 2 out of 3 looked like this (see picture below). I haven't seen that before. Am I really seeing a bullseye there, or am I just wishful thinking? Fertile or non-fertile?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't think it is. You should see a lighter area around the central dot and I don't see it in that pic. 

Are your birds young? Sometimes Silkie boys take a while to get the mating routine right. Then there's the issue of the fluff that can keep fertilization from happening.


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## MC79 (Apr 13, 2017)

Yes he is young. Started crowing about 3 weeks ago. I haven't seen him try to mate yet, but I figured I'd start keeping an eye out for fertilized eggs now. I bought an incubator and candler, so maybe I'm just getting anxious to use them! LOL


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL You've got some time yet then being that young.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I agree with infertile. If it had a clear area with a ring around it, it would be different. You photographed that very nicely. It does help when your shots are clear and close up.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

MC79 said:


> Since finding out that one of my silkies turned out to be a rooster, I've been checking the yolks of the eggs I make, to look for the telltale "bullseye". I haven't seen any until this morning, or at least I think, which is why I'm looking for confirmation. When making my daughter eggs this morning, 2 out of 3 looked like this (see picture below). I haven't seen that before. Am I really seeing a bullseye there, or am I just wishful thinking? Fertile or non-fertile?


Excellent picture! I agree, not fertile.


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## MC79 (Apr 13, 2017)

Yeah I can't wait to start hatching little ones. My silkie rooster is almost 6 months old, so hopefully he will start handling his business soon.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

There's nothing like hatching your own eggs.I usually end up with mutts but they're my mutts and I love them.Next spring I'm going to try to hatch geese.I reckon I'll spend the cold winter months researching it.


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## MC79 (Apr 13, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> There's nothing like hatching your own eggs.I usually end up with mutts but they're my mutts and I love them.Next spring I'm going to try to hatch geese.I reckon I'll spend the cold winter months researching it.


Now that I have a rooster, this will be my first time trying to hatch my own eggs. I'm so excited! That would explain my slight impatience with hoping that egg was fertilized. I've googled lots of pictures of cross-breeds and so many of them are the cutest. I have a naked-neck turken in my flock (everyone thinks they are ugly but I think they're adorable!). My big hope is that my silkie will breed with my turken. I googled what that would look like, and here is one of the images that came up!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You'll have your work cut out doing that cross. It took quite a few breedings to get the NN Silkie to where it's at now.


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## MC79 (Apr 13, 2017)

My silkie roo is still really intimidated by all the hens who are bigger than him, so it will take time regardless. Although, oddly enough, he did try to mount my Jersey Giant yesterday (my first time seeing him make any attempt on a hen), but she didn't let him...lol.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

MC79 said:


>


Lovely!


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