[Bionic]

How do you know that the eggs you eat aren't fertile?
Thats what puts me off of getting a cock bird.
 
Sally

[Fowlman]

Ive been eating fertilised eggs for nearly 50 years and they aint no different from non-fertile eggs. If you have the correct male/female ratio chances are they will be fertile, i shouldnt worry about it.

[gerpsych]

There will be fertilized eggs and you will not be able to tell the difference. As long as you don't let a broody hen sit on them there is no appreciable difference whatsoever. You will have to be aware that some vegetarians don't like to know that they have eaten fertilized eggs (though I don't hold that this is very rational)

[SallyintNorth]

If you don't want a cockeral, don't get one.  The hens will be quite happy without, one will become the boss hen and lead the others about, marshalling the flock as would a cock if there was one.  No hen will get bare patches and scratches from the cock's attentions, you won't get any unexpected / unwanted hatchings (and the resultant cock birds to identify and dispose of, or if you don't do that, gang rapes and worse to deal with.)

If you would like a cockeral, don't worry about the eggs being fertile, you're eating your own eggs so fresh it really makes no difference.

I don't know if there's any legislation about selling fertile eggs for eating though - but someone here will!

[in the hills]

I reckon that most of mine are fertile, Bionic.


I have 6 cockerels running around and nearly every egg I have incubated has shown development.


They don't taste or look different but I am very careful to remove eggs regularly as I have some breeds that are prone to sitting and obviously I wouldn't want to eat anything that had started to develop.


My neighbour is veggie and was quite shocked that the eggs I give him could be fertile. Explained to him that he had been buying eggs from another neighbour along the lane for 20 odd years and that as she has always kept cockerels, it was a bit late to worry now. 


Mind you, he also thought that the milk that he drinks came from dairy cows who magically produced milk without the need to give birth to calves  . He was quite shocked when I explained about the dairy industry. Bless him ..... and he is an intelligent man so it just goes to show.

[jaykay]

You can't tell the difference between non-incubated fertile and non-fertile eggs, so it's an 'in the mind' question.

I reckon all the eggs I eat are fertile, given that my hen:cockerel ratio is 6:1

I love having cockerels around, like their colour, the crowing 

[Bionic]

I am thinking of getting some eggs for my broody hen and the chances are that there will be some cockerels amongst them if they hatch.
So, thinking ahead it would be eating or keeping. From the responses I have read it seems that keeping shouldn't be a problem (unless they all turn out to be cockerels)
 
thanks
Sally

[in the hills]

Bionic - I love chickens and I get really fond of the cockerels, that's why I have 6 of them! I love to watch them calling the girls and all of mine can be picked up and cuddled. However, if you are hatching it is likely that you will end up with too many to keep unless you increase your flock of girls quite a lot. I found that as the young cockerels came to maturity they would all chase and try to tread the same poor hen. They have to go at this point as they would damage the hens or be kept separately.


We called last year "The Year of the Cockerel". We hatched more than our fair share and my friend along the lane had a final hatch of 9 cockerels to 1 hen 


You might be lucky though.


Could you dispatch/eat if need be?

[Bionic]

In the hills, I would like to think I could dispatch and eat but in reality I am not sure.
I definitely know that OH wouldn't do it for me so its me or not at all.
 
At approx what age would they need to be dispatched if they were for eating?
 
Sally

[in the hills]

Bionic - I haven't much experience with this side of poultry keeping. I stuck to hens and no cockerels for about 20 years! My 10 year old daughter who loves the hens more than the dog or cat, turned to me and said it's time isn't it mum    and they were about 5 months old at that point. It was obvious that they were going to cause problems from then on. I think it will depend on breed partly, as some mature more quickly than others.


Also some tend to live together more happily than others and the top cockerel tends to prevent the less dominant ones from treading the hens or from fighting each other.


A local farmer dispatched and prepared mine with his Christmas poultry. What a wimp.   They were yummy though.

[plt102]

We hatch our own chicks including fancy bantams. You will quickly end up with too many boys if you are not willing to dispatch them and it is a terrible waste if you don't eat them. Get prepared with a humane dispatcher before you fall in love with your new fluffy chicks and it will help to remind you what you might need to do. Our boys go between 16 and 24 weeks unless they are particularly handsome/friendly. As soon as they start crowing they go into a special pen where they get super well looked after and extra rations for a few weeks then they are happy until the day they have to go. Good luck. Xxx

[SallyintNorth]

Sally, you've had some very tactful replies but please please be aware that a group of adolescent cockerals can and will kill a young hen in what can only be described as gang rape. 

Once you've witnessed this once, you will have no qualms whatever about imprisoning your developing cockerals and dispatching them for the pot.

I am hoping that by writing so bluntly I can instil in you the resolve to manage the youngsters before you have to have the experience yourself of realising that you have failed to protect a favourite yong hen... 

[Bionic]

At what age can they be sexed?  I am thinking if its very young then I could do the deed at that age which would be much easier. 
I used to watch my dad wring the necks of his canaries if there was something wrong with them and if its early enough it could also be done before I get too attached to them.   I certainly don't fancy a gang rape for my girls.
Sally
 

[shetlandpaul]

i cell diffrence. not an issue.


you can sex them at two day with there wing feathers. we training you can sex them at hatching by there vents. an easier one is to wait until they have there adult feathers the birds with pointy neck feathers are boys. if your to sensitive to cull them just buy point of lay hens.. dont get a cock unless your sure.

[hughesy]

There's too much sentimentality among backyard poultry keepers. They're farm animals and people need to view them as such. Breeding is part of keeping poultry and dealing with unwanted male offspring is part of it too. Killing a chicken humanely is something all poultry keepers need to be able to do. And as has been said it's a shame to waste good meat.  As for fertile eggs I'm sure someone will be along in a minute to tell us all that it's illegal to sell fertile eggs, which is nonsense.