I'm new to raising chickens and I was just wondering that if after the chicken has sat on the eggs for 4-5 months if you can open the eggs to check on the chicklette. And then piece it back together and place it back under the chicken.
I was also wondering how the roosters fertilize the eggs. I always thought they did it like fish, but how would I know...? Please list any websites that would explain the process and show a video on this. Thank you in advance! You've been lovely listeners.

Anonymnous--Golly, no, you cannot open an egg with a chick inside without killing it. The egg is like a womb, protective! I guess you mean 4 or 5 days, as a hen does not "set" for months, but 21 day until hatch. You check the progress of the egg being incubated by "candling" (shining an intense light through it--you can see what is going on) Although I am admonished that it isn't quite correct, I still describe the mating of chickens as being like that of cats. It is close enough. If you have both a rooster and hens, you will observe this activity. There are good books with information about these subjects, and maybe someone knows a website. Here is one about "how an egg is layed": http//www.afn.org/`poultry/ CJR

uh....interesting question. You can't put together an egg after you've cracked it open. To do so would be quite fatal to the developing or developed embryo. Although it is sort of like a womb, its a little different than a human womb. Babies born prematurely can often, through the marvels of modern day technology, kept alive. For chicks, if they're born too early they always die.

I think once it's cracked the protective membrane dries out pretty quickly, killing the chick inside.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh...Thanks sooo much for the info! You people are soooo helpful!

Actually, you can open an egg and watch the embro develop for a few days. The embryo will live a few days. The instructions for doing that are on the University of Mississippi poultry science website.

correction... Mississippi State University poultry science website.

Help, I too have really dumb question? Does a hen need to be bred every day to produce a fertilized egg daily? I recently changed roosters in my small flock and I was wondering how long my hens would lay eggs fertilized by my old rooster and when I could count on the eggs being fertilized by the new one? I would appreciate any advice!

To be sure wait 7 days, even tho the sperm of new cock probably would overpower the old after 4 days.

Robbpa, Thanks for the info!

I've got 2 month old chicks,
at what age can the sex of a chicken be determined?

Most of your birds should be showing enough signs by now. The roosters will have noticeably redder and larger combs, and the pullets will have almost no comb showing, with little color. Occasionally there is a rooster who is not showing much yet, but this test will tell you what most of them are already. The roosters are generally a little larger and heavier. Hope this helps.

I'm thinking of trying out keeping hens primarily because I have a bad slug problem. (I'm told hens love to eat them.) I'm not zoned for having a rooster. Will the hens continue to lay infertile eggs even if there is no rooster around, or do they need constant presence or occasional visits with a rooster to keep laying? Or, cruel as it sounds, can a rooster be devoiced? Thanks for any advice.

Can you have hens? Some of them make as much noise as a rooster, clucking when they lay an egg.

Yes, a hen lays eggs without a rooster around. Makes no difference unless you want chicks.

I would suggest reading up on it a little bit first. Get a book from the library about raising a backyard flock. It takes work, proper housing, proper feed, medication and playing "vet" sometimes. They will eat up your lawn and mess up your flowerbeds, poop everywhere and leave the yard bare in some cases. It's not something to go into lightly, however if it sounds appealing to you after checking into it some, it is a fun and rewarding hobby.

Susie

I have a question regarding my new pullets.
I have 9 of them one leghorn and 8 highline browns.
I have had them for 3 weeks ( they are now 22 weeks old)The leghorn has given us an egg every day since she arived, in the nest and i am getting 1 brown egg every day in the nests BUT my question is this were are the other eggs? I cant find them. Yes they are free ranging but I cant find the other eggs or maybe there isn't any. Im new at this so bare with me..
If in fact they are laying were they should not be, how do i stop this and get them to go back to the coop and lay in the nests? I realy dont want to lock them up
but maybe some one has a trick that may help me out.
thanks for your time.

Debbie, Why do you not want to lock them up?? I think you must, if you want to know if they are all laying. This is how they make a habit of laying in your nest boxes in the coop. After just a few days to a week, you will know if they are all laying, as they cannot withhold an egg, if they are producing them! And when you let them out freely again, they will all likely come back in to their nests to lay.

I never let my birds out in the rain, and they are inside for weeks on end in winter. They become good friends. Free range is nice, but there is nothing wrong with being cooped! CJR

Thank you for your help CJR, I will try this out ( leave them in the coop) for a few days and let you know of the progress thanks again.
Also why not the rain? will this harm them?
I live in the west of canada were it rains on an almost daily basis.. honest!