(Turkeys and chickens in the background waiting for the good or bad news about the egg)
27 days and I was worried. The following day baby turkeys should hatch out. There should pipped eggs today.
I had been lifting the hen for the past five days, inspecting eggs for new air holes. My concern was there were too many eggs in the nest and I was going to arrange the pipped eggs (hatching eggs) to the outside of the group (fat end out), so the poults could hatch easier.
However day 27 had arrived with no apparent egg activity. Had I marked the calendar incorrectly for 28 days?
And the other problem….Last week the hen had carried at least one rotten (unfertilized) egg away from her nest.
I decided to do a “Cold Test” on the eggs. The cold test is a simple method I discovered by accident that gives very accurate indication of whether the eggs are alive or rotten.
Note: I could candle the eggs, but the cold test is reliable and I do not have to hunt down the candle tool and light.
The cold test is simply to let an egg that is ready to hatch sit by itself for approximately 10 minutes.
Note: The cold test only works with eggs that are due to hatch in 5-10 days.
A live egg will stay warm, even hot. Give back to mother or place in the incubator.
A few of the eggs will be in the half-way position, warm but not cold. (These eggs, -back to mom or the incubator for now…..)
All of the warm eggs were returned to their mother. As it was, it turned out that most of the warm eggs were also “pecking” when you placed the egg to your ear.
These eggs marked with red tape were the “Maybes”–Neither cold or hot. They were marked and placed in an incubator to be tested again in a few days.
Day 28, & little turkeys under the hen. -two Blue slates (silver), three Royal Palms (yellow) two Wild, (brown) and 6 Spanish blacks (black with white heads)
If you are familiar with turkeys, you will recognize the poult the above picture is a wild or wild cross turkey, yet the mother is a Blue slate.
One reason I shuffle the eggs, is so the mothers will have babes of all colors and in the event of an emergency I can add new babies to this mothers brood and she will not notice the new off color poult is not hers.
Two others I placed back in the incubator. One hatched out on Day 31 and the remaining egg? The poult below was full week late!
This cutie was not only a week late, (he or she) was peeping at the wrong end!
I have seen turkeys hatch successfully from the wrong end of egg, so I just watched. However after 8 hours of not going past a large air hole, I opened the egg. The little turkeys back had dried and it could not spin and peck, to cut out of the egg.
Have make a comment: at the excellent website HeritageTurkeysUK in the egg hatching section there is a description of “tough love”—Basically their philosophy not to assist turkey poults from escaping their eggs because that would allow weak birds into their flock. –I understand the concept….however the poult in the photo was/is a heathy turkey, but the feathers were stuck to the inside of the shell, not allowing the baby to rotate and cut with the egg tooth. A humidity issue. (too low)
For pet lovers around the globe, “Its a Matter of Luck” is a collection of heart warming stories of horse rescues from the slaughterhouse.
Warning: This book may cause your eyes to water -in a good way. (speaking from experience after reading it)
Author Bruce Ryba at Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39B & Artemis 1. “We are going to the Moon!”
For the video versions of information, please check out my YouTube Channel (Turkeys, KSC, Flintknapping, dive stories etc.)
Desperate times call for bold action. In a desperate move to retain Florida and protect the treasure-laden galleons on their dangerous return journey to Europe, the King of Spain issues a royal decree offering refuge to all English slaves who escape Florida and pick up a musket to defend the coquina walls of Saint Augustine. In another bold gamble, the King offers refuge to the dissatisfied Indian nations of the southeast who will take up arms against the English. Clans, traumatized by war and disease, cross the Spanish Frontier to settle the cattle-rich land and burned missions of Florida. Follow the descendants of the conquistador Louis Castillo in remote Spanish Florida, a wildland swept by diseases, hurricanes, and northern invasions.
As a backyard turkey farmer, knowing how to identify fertile eggs is an essential skill. Only fertile eggs have the potential to hatch into adorable little poults. So being able to separate the fertile eggs from the duds can save you a lot of wasted time and disappointment.
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about determining turkey egg fertility. You’ll learn the tell-tale signs of a fertile egg, the best methods for checking, and what to do next if your eggs are fertile. Let’s hatch a plan for fertility success!
Why Fertility Matters
Before we dive into the how, let’s quickly cover why fertility matters when incubating turkey eggs. Here are some key reasons:
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Hatch rate Only fertile eggs can potentially hatch. Knowing which are fertile helps focus your efforts.
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Incubator space: Removing infertile eggs frees up room for viable ones.
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Breeding decisions: Assessing fertility rates helps inform breeding plans.
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Time savings: Identifying infertile eggs early prevents wasting energy on duds.
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Cost savings Incubating only viable eggs is more cost efficient
##Methods for Assessing Fertility
When trying to identify fertile eggs, you have a few different options:
1. Candling
This is the most reliable method. Candling involves shining a bright light through the egg to see inside. Fertile eggs will show a network of veins and a developing embryo.
When to candle: Wait at least 7 days into incubation for best results.
What to look for: Spiderweb veins and a dark embryo.
2. Opening the Egg
Cracking open an egg reveals a bullseye pattern on the yolk of fertile ones. But this destroys the egg, so only use eggs you don’t intend to hatch.
When to check: Anytime before incubation.
What to look for: A bullseye pattern on the yolk.
3. Float Testing
Submerging eggs in water can indicate fertility, as very dense eggs tend to sink. But this isn’t 100% accurate.
When to test: Before setting eggs in the incubator.
What to look for: Sinking eggs are more likely to be fertile.
What to Do With Fertile Eggs
Congratulations, you’ve identified some fertile eggs! Now what? Here are your next steps:
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Incubate immediately: Fertile eggs will start developing, so incubate ASAP.
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Monitor incubation: Check on eggs daily and rotate 180 degrees twice a day.
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Stop candling: Avoid unnecessary light exposure after confirming fertility.
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Prepare the brooder: Have the hatching area fully prepped and ready for poults.
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Wait patiently: Successful hatches take 28 days for turkeys.
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Assist if needed: Help weak poults fully emerge if they’re struggling.
With some lucky fertile eggs, attentive incubation, and good brooding prep, you’ll soon have a flock of adorable poults chirping away!
Troubleshooting Fertility Issues
What if you discover most eggs aren’t fertile? Some steps to take:
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Review breeding ratios – Ideal is 1 tom for every 4-5 hens.
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Check bird health – Poor nutrition or illness can impact fertility.
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Ensure adequate mating – Toms need access to hens for frequent breeding.
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Try free-range mating – Some hens reject males when confined.
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Add vitamins – B complex and Vitamin D aid fertility.
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Improve diet – Corn, oats, leafy greens, and insects promote breeding.
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Give it time – It takes some pairs a while to copulate successfully.
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Consider new males – Some toms have poor fertility despite good health.
With a few tweaks to space, diet, and breeding, you should start seeing fertile eggs emerge!
Fertility Success Step-By-Step
Here’s a quick step-by-step summary of the fertility process:
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Pair healthy, unrelated toms and hens at ideal breeding ratios.
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Provide birds with excellent diet, range access, and breeding spaces.
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Collect eggs daily and store pointed end down until incubation.
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Candle eggs after 7 days of incubation and remove infertiles.
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Carefully monitor incubated eggs for ideal temperature, humidity, and turning.
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Prepare the brooder area fully prior to any anticipated hatches.
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Once poults emerge, relocate them to the prepped brooder.
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Troubleshoot infertility issues if needed until fertility rates improve.
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Enjoy your growing flock of adorable poults this season!
With the knowledge from this guide, you now have an expert understanding of how to identify and incubate fertile turkey eggs. Apply these tips to maximize your turkey fertility and hatch rates. Soon you’ll have a thriving flock of poults chirping merrily in your backyard!
Candling The Turkey Eggs!
FAQ
How to tell if an egg is fertilized without cracking it?
How to tell if a turkey egg is still alive?
How to tell if an egg is fertile with a flashlight?
How do you know if a turkey egg is fertile?
How can you tell if turkey eggs are fertile? If the egg is fertile, then you should see a dark spot around the middle of the egg, with some spider-like veins beginning to form around it. If its not, you should just be able to see the shape of the yellow yolk inside the egg, without any signs of an embryo or veins.
How can one determine if they are fertile?
Here are some signs that signify that you are fertile: 1. Your vaginal discharge changes:When you are ovulating, the discharge tends to become more watery, stretchy and begins to resemble the texture of an egg white. 2. Cramps:Some women tend to feel mild pain when the egg is released from the ovaries. It is also known as mittelschmerz (middle pain in German) and can be used to plan when to have sex if you are trying to get pregnant. 3. Change in basal body temperature:When you begin ovulating, your basal body temperature starts increasing. 4. The main symptom of infertility is the inability to get pregnant. A menstrual cycle that’s too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular or absent can mean that you’re not ovulating. 5. You may also experience libido boost, breast tenderness, mood swings or bloating when you ovulate.
Are turkey eggs fertile?
When it comes to raising happy and healthy turkeys, eggs play a vital role in the process. Hatching the right eggs is the first step in successfully raising a turkey flock. To guarantee that your turkey eggs are viable, you need to know how to determine whether your turkey eggs are fertile.
How do you know if a yolk egg is fertile?
Non-Fertile egg, Notice the Germinal spot just above center on the Yolk. It appears as solid white spot. Fertile Egg. Notice the germinal spot looks larger and like a circle in this fertile egg. Roosters are not necessary at egg farms where eggs are produced for human consumption and not incubation.