Whether you want to check a bird egg to make sure it is fertilized for the purpose of breeding it or out of pure curiosity, the process is pretty straightforward. In most cases, it is possible to make sure that there is no embryo without even checking the state of the egg; however, there are several methods to verify that it has not been fertilized.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Check if the Egg is Fertilized
Step 1. Place the egg against the light to see if an embryo is developing
If you have been holding an egg in the incubator for a few days or the hen is hatching it, you can use this method to determine if it is fertilized or not. Hold it in front of a candle or a very strong light source, such as that of the incubator, and look inside:
- A fertile egg has clear signs of vital development, such as a network of fine blood vessels, a dull shadow of the embryo in the widest end of the egg, and even some movement.
- A fertilized egg in which embryonic development has stopped shows visible rings or streaks of blood. Since the embryo is no longer alive in this case, the blood vessels that initially supported it have now broken off.
- The unfertilized, or sterile, egg appears quite clear, you see no rings, streaks or blood vessels.
Step 2. See if it floats
This phenomenon often indicates an unfertilized egg, as the internal material does not have a specific weight that makes it sink; when the embryo is formed, the egg becomes heavier. To check if it floats:
- Wait until the egg is already a few days old and the potential embryo has formed; basically, it would be best to move fertile eggs only occasionally and never too often. Removing them from the incubator prematurely can stop development; if you do it too late you can harm the unborn chick.
- Get a bowl of hot water; make sure it's warm, in case the egg is fertilized.
- Put the egg inside very carefully; be delicate because some shells are very fragile.
- See if it floats or sinks.
- Return the fertilized egg to the incubator as soon as possible.
Step 3. Break it to check if it contains the embryo
In the initial phase, the most accurate way to understand if the egg is fertilized or not consists precisely in breaking it; by doing so, you can see if the blastodisc has turned into a blastoderm. For obvious reasons, once the shell is broken you will not be able to raise a potential chick or continue the maturation process in the incubator. If you broke the shell to eat the contents, whether it is fertilized or not does not alter the taste.
- The fertilized eggs have the blastoderm which has the appearance of a circle or a white target which is however a little opaque and with solid and marked edges; the outer side surrounding the denser part has a lighter, almost transparent color.
- In sterile eggs, the blastodisc has an irregular shape and its white color is very opaque and cloudy.
- All eggs, fertilized and unfertilized, have a white dot or blastodisc inside them.
Method 2 of 2: Make sure the eggs are sterile
Step 1. Separate the male birds from the females
If you want the egg to be fertilized, the female would have to mate with the male to produce eggs that contain the genetic material of both sexes and be able to produce an embryo; if you have only female specimens, all laid eggs are necessarily sterile.
- An egg that is not fertilized or that contains only female genetic material cannot give rise to the chick.
- In fertile eggs, or those containing both male and female genetic material, the blastodisc becomes blastoderm, which represents the first stage of embryonic development.
Step 2. Immediately put the eggs laid in the refrigerator
In order for the embryos to develop, the eggs should remain warm, at a temperature of about 30 ° C; however, you can interrupt the growth process of the chicks by placing them in a cool or refrigerated place.
You have to proceed quickly enough, as soon as the egg is laid; under the right conditions, a few hours may be enough for the embryo to form
Step 3. Observe the eggs for 2 to 3 weeks
The incubation time for a chick varies with different bird species; Most lovebirds (budgies) eggs hatch in 2 weeks, while chicken eggs take up to 3 weeks. If nothing happens after this period, it is very likely that the egg is sterile or the embryo has died and the growth process has stopped.
