How to Check If an Egg Is Fertilized?

Chickens lay about one egg a day regardless of whether the egg has been fertilized or not. If your chickens are laying eggs at a steady rate, you may wonder if any of these eggs contain chicks. The first thing to remember is that unless you have a rooster, the eggs will remain unfertilized. If you do have a rooster, you can check if the eggs have been fertilized using a method called candling.

Things You'll Need

  • Table with top at 38 to 44 inches from the floor
  • Candler (see Section 2 if you don't have a candler)
  • Eggs
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Instructions

  1. Checking the Egg

    • 1

      Set your candler on the table.

    • 2

      Darken the room.

    • 3

      Hold the narrow end of egg with your thumb and first two fingers. With the egg slanted hold the large end of the egg so it is resting against the candler's light hole.

    • 4

      Look for a red spot in the egg with lines extending from it. The lines are the blood vessels and the red spot is the embryo. This indicates a fertile egg. An egg with a red ring inside was once fertile, but the embryo died. If you can't see anything, turn the egg gently to look at it from another angle.

    Homemade Candler

    • 5

      Turn an old recessed light over so the open end faces up. Switch out the bulb with a fluorescent bulb.

    • 6

      Take a piece of cardboard that is slightly larger than the opening of the light and cut a hole in the center that is slightly smaller than the size of your eggs.

    • 7

      Place the cardboard on top of the light. Turn on the light and put the egg on top of the hole in the cardboard.