[Jackie]

Has anyone ever tried to hatch eggs bought from a shop? Supermarkets, farm shops etc?

If so what happened.

[shetlandpaul]

don't bother. the main producers are all girl units. was of time and money.

[Womble]

I've heard of folks hatching supermarket Quail eggs though. Are they more likely to be fertile do you think?

[northfifeduckling]

I've heard about this here last year, but wouldn't bother trying it myself. You might be lucky with farm shops, just ask how the hens are kept - they do need a boy to be fertile and most commercial growers don't bother keeping them. Maybe you find someone here near you who has chickenswith a cockerel and can give you a box of eggs? 

[xnbacon]

Apparently my mum's friend's mum or possibly gran used to!  Was a few years ago though, mum's friend is 50+!

As implied above, don't get battery hen eggs, if they aren't going to give the hens room to roam, they certainly aren't going to bring round Mr Cockeral for a social. 

[harry]

i think its now illegal to sell fertile eggs for eating, so you wont  get any from shops..

[xnbacon]

Country Smallholding claimed this in their July issue last year, but retracted it in the September issue.  Think those of us with cockerals are safe for now. . . (just don't store your fertilised eggs at 37.5 degrees C!!!)

[shetlandpaul]

or wait a week and sell them to some south east asians, highly rated by them. i may just pass on that thou.

[little blue]

Eggs from supermarkets?    NO thanks!

[shetlandpaul]

no partly formed chicks. i have a friend who runs a small farm in the Philippines and its very popular there. so if your ever buying eggs there make sure your buying eggs. her huddy goes green at the thought.

[northfifeduckling]

I saw that program where they showed fully formed duck eggs eaten...not my idea of a lovely meal, but not my business either. Surely they find some things that are sold in Europe as food objectionable. (so do I  )

[Roxy]

I could never eat a supermarket egg - from caged hens or even free range, after having eggs from our own hens.  And being involved in battery hen rescues and seeing those battery hens, well, no way could I eat eggs from the shops again!!

I would say most of the eggs I sell from the gate are fertile as I have numerous cockerels - in fact, some people when buying them have asked if they would be fertile, so obviously they are wanting to hatch some chicks.  I should charge them mor per dozen then if thats the case!!!

[shetlandpaul]

sorry but this country is just too wimpy if they are worried about fertilized eggs.

[sagehen]

no partly formed chicks. i have a friend who runs a small farm in the Philippines and its very popular there. so if your ever buying eggs there make sure your buying eggs. her huddy goes green at the thought.

That's right. They call them balut, but it's only popular in the Philippines. They do sell grilled/barbecued chicks on a stick in Thailand though, although for the life of me, I have no idea why anyone would bother - don't think there's much meat on them to start with? I've tried salted eggs though, and I really like the salted egg yolks you find in Chinese mooncakes. I may even try salting my own chooks eggs if I have too many. Don't like pickled eggs yuk 

[sagehen]

I could never eat a supermarket egg - from caged hens or even free range, after having eggs from our own hens.  And being involved in battery hen rescues and seeing those battery hens, well, no way could I eat eggs from the shops again!!

I would say most of the eggs I sell from the gate are fertile as I have numerous cockerels - in fact, some people when buying them have asked if they would be fertile, so obviously they are wanting to hatch some chicks.  I should charge them mor per dozen then if thats the case!!!

Same here Roxy. Four of mine are ex batts, the state of them when I first got them made me feel so sad and angry. I always used to buy free range anyway, but I can't bring myself to by eggs from supermarkets now at all.