Testing fertility

Cuttlefish · Post by **Cuttlefish** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:21 am

How do you guys test fertility before collecting eggs?
I saw a few bullseyes and jumped the gun... just tossed a bunch of eggs because I'm sitting at 39% fertility. : (

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:30 am

i'll crack a few and see if they're bullseyes, if they are i take 10 and throw them in the incubator and candle at day 10....if they are developing at day 10 great, number developing/10 x 100=fertility rate. (so basically whatever is good x 10, easy math, not like chicken math LOL)
the problem comes when all 10 are good, and i can't bear to throw them out....that's chicken math.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:05 am

We eat lots of scrambled eggs and check at that time.
I wouldn't be able to scrap the test eggs.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:19 am

I can't scrap test eggs either. Thing is that difference between fertility and viability. You may get 100% fertility but if, say you collected on cold days only half develop or you have an elderly bird, only half develop you have 50% viability. The other thing at this time of year could be where you have the incy placed. Might not be birds at all.

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:23 am

ah yes, i didn't mention that cracked eggs with bullseyes end up in egg bread, or egg bake, or scrambled eggs, or some other way shape or form on a plate LOL. and the day 10 developers end up at whatever sale or kijiji or in my breeding stock or my layer coop and the day 10 quitters end up in the compost pile (or the puppies tummy-which is actually the same thing after we let the dog out and he gets into the composter).

Cuttlefish · Post by **Cuttlefish** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:56 am

Ok thanks. I did crack and inspect the empty ones (I think that was day 8) No bullseye, no veins, no anything, so I assumed infertile, but yeah, maybe they got cold, and never had a chance.
If you put fresh eggs in the bator for like 12 hours, would the bullseye be super obvious? Would you still eat them?

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:11 pm

by 12 hours you would be able to see a bullseye and probably the start of the axis of the embryo as a dash inside the bullseye. and the bullseye should be about 4mm or so across. sure you could eat them....I can't remember if it's chinese or japanese specialty is party incubated (complete with eyes) ducklings...eaten from the shell...yikes....
i don't mind up to 1 day but once the blood is really formed it kinda throws me off. and that happens really fast in development, blood islands start forming around 48 hours if i remember my embryology courses right.

ross · Post by **ross** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:23 pm

Scrambled kinda blends it .

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:36 pm

With ketchup!

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:08 pm

I check them at day 4 really easy to see the spider developing then, if a lot didn't develop I put some more in , 4 days difference in age doesn't seem to bother them and I can put them all in together. That's assuming you have some more you saved in those 4 days.