[chrismahon]

Of course the hatcheries have effectively stored the eggs at well above the required temperatures. 37 degrees instead of 12. So they are going to go 'off' very very quickly and I can't imagine for one moment they would be legally allowed to sell the 'clears' now for human consumption under those storage conditions.

[Clansman]

Holy thread revival batman! 

I just spotted your reply Chris! sorry!

No they aren't allowed to do it now, this was actually 1988 when I worked in the hatchery so 26ish years ago.

Back then we were still recycling farm animals entrails back into their feeding etc, the chicken processing factory I worked at minced up all the heads, guts and feet and they were mixed back into the feed for the next batch....

BSE/Foot and mouth etc stopped all that...... things are a lot different nowadays.

The eggs were candled in the first week, I'm pretty sure it was at 5 days and all clears removed and sent to the bakeries, nowadays the options are incineration or landfill.

Unless the egg is cracked or has had the bloom removed from the shell via scrubbing or washing it doesn't "go off" as such, and especially not over a few days.

you'd actually be hard pushed to spot any difference in an infertile egg thats been through a few weeks of incubation provided its shell stays intact, as I mentioned previously we often eat them.

If its cracked or washed etc then its a different story, in the hatchery they were known as 'Bangers' for good reason! 

[Victorian Farmer]

Iv done a lot whith geese the first 2 weeks  Of laying they arnt fertile .Iv just done a test hatch cream legbars no problem .So i bought a lot of reeves phesants eggs and the pawer went .Started again the board in the incubater was spiked so new board .You just dont no .