School chickens

[fionathepink]

So our school has some chickens that they have raised from eggs, which is wonderful. There are 3 chickens and one cockerel. The chickens have started laying eggs, which is great as the kids love it, but how do they know if the eggs are not fertilised? I would ask but I'm always the one to ask these sort of questions and I don't want to be the parent that is always kicking up a fuss. But I'm concerned about the eggs being fertilised as they are being sold at the school to the children/families.

what is the problem with the eggs being fertilised. You can eat them just the same

Anyway the answer is that at the point at which they are being sold (presumably the same day/within a day or two) you can't tell.

It doesn't matter if the eggs are fertilised or not, it makes no difference to the egg.
If the eggs are collected regularly there's no risk of finding anything developing (if that's what you're worried about), as eggs need to be kept warm to develop into chicks.

There is a way to tell if they are fertile or not though:
Crack open an egg, on the surface of the yolk there is a small white dot, about 2 mm across. If it is a solid dot, the eggs are not fertile, if it looks like a ring, or donut shape, the eggs are fertile.

It really doesn't make a difference to taste or whether they can be sold or not.

I've never kept chickens and I'm vegan so don't eat eggs, my egg knowledge is bare minimum.

If it doesn't matter at the point of collection then I'll leave the school to their own devices on this. It is not my personal preference for egg care but at least the kids are learning to care for animals.

What is your preference, though? You can't really stop the cockerel. Theres no humane way to take away natural urges nor to sterilize him. The only other option would be to cull the cockerel (which is what is done commercially, but at a much younger age). Keeping him alone would be very cruel (chickens need to be in a group).