THE s EGG HOAX AND HOW TO DEFEAT THEM

THIS IS WRITTEN MORE AS A PRECAUTIONARY TO THOSE WISHING TO BUY EGGS ON okay FOR HATCHING. THERE ARE SOME VERY REPUTABLE SELLERS, AND THERE ARE SOME LESS THAN REPUTABLE SELLERS.
BEFORE BUYING EGGS, UNDERSTAND FEEDBACK FOR THESE PURCHASES ARE SELDOM ACCURATE. SOMEONE ORDERS EGGS, SOMEONE GETS EGGS, ALL THE EGGS - OR AT LEAST MOST OF THEM - ARE NOT BROKEN, BUYER LEAVES POSITIVE FEEDBACK. TWENTY-ONE DAYS OR SO LATER BUYER FINDS OUT ALL THE EGGS DID NOT HATCH -- MANY TIMES NONE OF THE EGGS HATCHED BUT THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN LEFT AND IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TOCHANGE IT.
THE BUYER THEN ASKS WHY THE EGGS DIDN'T HATCH? ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS DECEPTION ON THE SELLERS PART AND ANOTHER REASON IS STUPIDITY ON THE BUYERS PART.
BEFORE BUYING EGGS YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN THE EGGS ARE IN SEASON. EGGS CAN BE FORCED LAID ALL YEAR LONG. BUT FOR EGGS TO BE FERTILE IT TAKES THREE THINGS.
1): IT TAKES A ROOSTER AND THE NATURAL UNION OF A ROOSTER (MALE CHICKEN TO THOSE THAT REALLY MIGHT NOT KNOW) AND FEMALE CHICKEN (HEN). THIS IS AN UNWAVERING FACT OF LIFE. IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO IN ORDER TO GET A FLAMINGO.
2). IT TAKES A WARM ENVIRONMENT.
FOR SOME BIRDS SUCH AS PHEASANTS AND SOME QUAIL THE COOL DAYS OF LATE MARCH ARE WARM ENOUGH, BUT FOR MOST BIRDS IT TAKES THE WARMER DAYS OF LATE APRIL AND MAY ON THROUGH EARLY FALL. UNLESS THE EGGS ARE geING FROM SOMEPLACE WARM SUCH AS FLORIDA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND OTHER VERY DEEP SOUTHERN STATES THE CHANCES OF THE TEMPERATURES BEING RIGHT ALL YEAR LONG ARE NEARLY NON-EXISTENT.
POULTRY FARMS FORCE EGG LAYING FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCTION, AND CLAIM THEY DO NOT USE ARTIFICIAL HORMONES TOINDUCE CHICKENS TO GENERATE MORE EGGS,AND TECHNICALLY THEY DON'T, BUT IN SO STATING THEY ARE SPLITTING HAIRS. INSTEAD OFGIVING THE CHICKENS HORMONES,THEY FEED THE CHICKENS FOOD THAT HAS ARTIFICIAL HORMONES IN IT TO STIMULATEEGG PRODUCTION AND USEHEATED COOPS TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE, BUT THESE EGGS WILL NEVER HATCH NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU INCUBATE THEM. THEY ARE MISSING THE MAIN INGREDIENT; MR. CHICKEN.
3). THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR TO EGG PRODUCTION IS LIGHT. NOT JUST ANY LIGHT, BUT SUNLIGHT.
THE SUN CAN BE SIMULATED ARTIFICIALLY; HOWEVER, NOTHING CAN REPLACE THE NATURAL SUN FOR ITS ABILITY TO TRIGGER HORMONE PRODUCTION WITHIN A LIVING ORGANISM. SCIENCE MAY NEVER FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY IS IN SUNLIGHT THAT DOES THIS, BUT IT IS FACT OF CREATION ALL LIFE REVOLVES AROUND THE RYTHEM OF THE SUN. ONLY SUN LIGHT CAN TRIGGER PROPER PLANT GROWTH, AND ONLY SUNLIGHT CAN TELL A BIRD IT IS TIME TO REPRODUCE.
WHEN THE DELICATE BALANCE OF ALL THREE ELEMENTS ARE PRESENT YOU GET FERTILE EGGS. TAKE AWAY ANYONE OF THEM AND THE ODDS OF FERTILIZATION GO WAY DOWN. ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENTS CAN SIMULATE THIS PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY TO SOME DEGREE, BUT NOTHING TAKES THE PLACE OF NATURE'S CLOCK.
WHEN BUYING EGGS KNOW WHERE THEY ARE geING FROM. IF IT IS WINTER TIME AND THE EGGS ARE geING FROM KANSAS AND OTHER COLDER WINTER STATES, YOU PROBABLY ARE WASTING YOUR MONEY. I DON'T CARE IF THEY TELL YOU THEY SAW A WHOLE FLOCK OF ROOSTERS DATING THE SAME HEN. IF IT IS A COLD WEATHER STATE, IT IS WINTER, IT IS MORE THAN LIKELY THE CHICKEN WILL NOT LAY UNLESS CHEMICALLY INDUCED TO DO SO, AND ALL THE DATING IN THE WORLD WON'T PRODUCE A FERTILE EGG.
SOME WILL TELL YOU THEIR CHICKEN IS FREE RANGE AND THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. IT DOES NOT. FREE RANGE IN THE CHICKEN WORLDgePRISES 15,000 CHICKENS CROWED INTO AN OUTDOOR PEN SO SMALL FOR THE NUMBERSTHE CHICKENS BARELY HAVE ROOM TO TURN AROUND IN. BECAUSE THEY FEED OFF MANURE INFESTED GROUND WHEN GRAIN IS TOSSED TO THEM, THE INDUSTRYTOYS WITH THE DEFINITION AND CALLS THIS ENVIRONMENT FREE RANGE. THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENS IN MANY MID-EASTERN NATIONS WHERE IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO PUT A HOG ON THE GROUND BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE REGIONAL RELIGIONS IT MAKES THE GROUND UN-CLEAN OR UN-HOLY. TO GET AROUND THIS, THEY BUILT WOODEN PLATFORMS OVER ACRES OF GROUND AND RAISE THE HOGS ON IT. THE HOGS WEREN'T RAISED ON THE GROUND THEREFOR THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANYTHING UN-CLEAN OR UN-HOLY AND THEY KEPT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW INTACT.TRUE FREE-RANGE CHICKENS ARE CHICKENS THAT ARE ALLOWED TO ROAM THE FARM AT WILL AND CATCH BUGS, WORMS, FLIES, AND OTHER ASSORTED UNFORTUNATES THEY HAPPEN ACROSS AND EAT. FREE RANGE CHICKENS DO NOT LAY IN COLD WEATHER NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO TO THEM. YOU CAN'T CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT NEEDED FOR EGG PRODUCTION IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CHICKENS IN ONE SPOT WHERE IT CAN BE CONTROLLED TO SIMULATE IT.
IF THE EGGS ARE FROM WARMER STATES YOU MIGHT STAND A FAIR CHANCE OF GETTING FERTILE EGGS. UNFORTUNATELY, MOST EGGS ARE NOT geING FROM THESE AREAS, AND MANY DO geE FROM KANSAS AND OTHER MIDWESTERN COLD STATES. CHANCES ARE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING IS EITHER A STERILE HORMONE INDUCED EGG BY THE GROWER, OR A BOX FROM THE STORE. IF THE EGGS FROM STATES ARE BOUGHT DURING LATE SPRING THROUGH EARLY FALL - OR - WARM WEATHER YOU PROBABLY WILL GET WHAT YOU BOUGHT.
HOW DOES ONE TELL A STORE EGG FROM A FRESH EGG? SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T, BUT LOOK AT THE LISTING. IF SOMEONE IS ADVERTISING DELAWARE CHICKEN EGGS (A VERY geMON BREED BEING PUSHED ON okay) WHICH LAYS VERY LARGE OR JUMBO SIZED EGGS AND YOU GET A BOX OF SMALL EGGS THEN ODDS ARE YOU GOT A BOX FROM THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE. YOU MIGHT AS WELL TOSS THEM INTO THE FRYING PAN.THE PURCHASE OF AN EGG CHANDELIER CAN HELP IDENTIFY FERTILE AND NOT FERTILE EGGS AS WELL.THESE ARE SMALL, VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS PLACED ON THE SMALL END OF THE EGG AND LIGHTS THE INSIDE UP. A CHANDELIER CAN BE MADE FROM A TIN CAN WITH A HOLE JUST LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD THE SMALL END OF THE EGG AND THEN PLACING THE CAN OVER A 100 WATT LIGHT BULB. THE DRAW BACK TO THIS IS THE CAN WILL SOON BEgeE VERY HOT TO HOLD AND YOU CAN NOT CHECK ALL THE EGGS THROUGH THIS METHOD. LIKEWISE THE HEAT WILL BUILD UP INSIDE THE CAN AND OFTEN BLOW THE BULB IN SHORT TIME.. WHEN USING A CHANDELIER ON FERTILE EGGS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE SMALL DARK BLOOD CLOTS AFTER AFEW DAYSIN THE INCUBATOR -- IF YOU DON'T YOU PROBABLY HAVE STERILE EGGS -- AFTER 10 DAYS IF THE INSIDES LOOK CLEAR, YOU MOST CERTAINLY HAVE DEAD EGGS!
SOME SELLERS WILL TRY TO CLAIM THE EGGS WERE LEFT OUTSIDE AND IT IS THE FAULT OF THE POSTAL SYSTEM. YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR INTEREST BY MAKING SURE THEY ARE FULLY INSURED. ONE SELLER IN KANSAS RECENTLY TRIED TO CITE JANUARY WAS THE COLDEST MONTH IN NEARLY 30 YEARS AND THAT IS WHY THE EGGS DIED. PROPERLY PACKAGED EGGS CAN STAND EXTREME TEMPERATURE'S FOR NEARLY HALF A DAY INSIDE A MAIL BOX AS THEY ARE INSULATED FROM THE COLD BY BUBBLE WRAP AND STYROFOAM PELLETS. THESELLER WAS CORRECT, JANUARY 2008 WAS THE COLDEST MONTH SINCE 1966. IT WAS 3/10THS OF ONE DEGREE COLDER! I DOUBT IF ANYTHING COULD FEEL THE 3/10THS OF A DEGREE COLDER OR WARMER AND THIS HAD LITTLE TO DO WITH THE EGGS BEING STORE BOUGHT AS TESTING CONFIRMED THEM TO BE WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THEY CONTAINED THE HORMONES USED BY POULTRY FARMS.
ANOTHER WAY IS TO LOOK AT THE EGG ITSELF. A FARM-FRESH-LAID-EGG THAT IS FERTILE WILL TEND TO HAVE AN NICE LUSTER TO ITS SHELL. IT WILL BEVERY SMOOTH LOOKING. DULL LOOKING EGGS, EGGS THAT HAVE DARK SPOTS ON THEM, OR EGGS THAT ARE HIGHLY DIRTY ARE PROBABLY ALL SIGNS OF OLD EGGS -- AND DEAD EGGS. STORE EGGS TEND TO HAVE A FLAT, CHALK LIKEAPPEARANCE TO THEM. BUYING A FEW EGGS - BOTH WHITE AND BROWN DIRECTLY FROM A FARMER THEN FROM A STORE AND PUTTING THEM SIDE-BY-SIDE IS THE QUICKEST WAY TO SEE FIRST HAND THE DIFFERENCE. ONCE YOU HAVE SEEN IT, YOU WON'T FORGET IT.
EGGS CAN NOT SURVIVE IN COLD WEATHER FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS. THEY HAVE TO PICKED UP QUICKLY. THE AVERAGE LOWEST TEMPERATURE FOR STORAGE AND THE SURVIVAL OF THE EMBRYO IS ABOUT 55 DEGREES FARENHEIT. MOST WILL SURVIVE ABOUT 5 TO 7 DAYS BEFORE THE ODDS OF SUCCESS GO WAY DOWN. ANYTHING OLDER THAN 11 DAYS IS NEARLY A GUARANTEED FAILURE SO BE SURE TO CHECK LAY DATES AND SHIP DATES AND GET IT IN WRITING. IF IN DOUBT YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE THE EGG CHECKED FOR THE HORMONES FOUND IN geMERCIAL LAYING FEEDS TO SEE IF THIS IS A STORE BOUGHT EGG. THIS IS SLIGHTLY EXPENSIVE, BUT NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS INVESTING IN SEVERAL HUNDRED EGGS TO FIND THEY ARE ALL NON-FERTILE.
DEMAND A GUARANTEE. A SELLER THAT WILL NOT GUARANTEE FERTILITY IS SOMEONE THAT SHOULD BE PASSED ON. SOMEONE WHO RAISES EGGS FOR HATCHING WILL KNOW IF THEIR EGG IS FERTILE OR NOT. DISCLAIMERS THAT HATCH RATES CAN'T BE GUARANTEED DUE TO INCUBATION AND OTHER EVENTS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL ARE ALL POPPY-COCK. A 50% HATCH RATE IS A BARE MINIMUM RATE ANYONE SHOULD EXPECT. WHEN MY HENS ARE FERTILE I GET A 99.9% HATCH RATE IN THE INCUBATOR. AS LONG AS THE INCUBATOR DIRECTIONS ARE BEING FOLLOWED THERE IS NO REASON WHY AT LEAST HALF-THE-EGGSSHOULD NOT HATCH!
TAKE THE STANCE: NO GUARANTEE NO SALE -- EVER!
WAIT UNTIL THE HATCH IS gePLETE BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK, AND DEMAND A REFUND IF THEY FAIL. IF THE SELLER BALKS FILE A DISPUTE.
THE DISPUTE MAY OR MAY NOT END IN YOUR FAVOR, BUT WHAT IT WILL DO IS ALERT okay THEY HAVE A LESS THAN HONEST SELLER PUTTING OUT BAD EGGS. IF SEVERAL DISPUTES ARE FILED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IT IS ONLY LOGICAL THE SELLER IS NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT.THE LAW OF AVERAGES WILL NEVER SUPPORT AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF FAILURES OVER SUCCESSFUL HATCH RATES AND THIS PERSON WILL BE PREVENTED OR DISCOURAGED FROM FURTHER THEFTS OF DECEPTION.
IFTHE SELLER BULKS AT A REFUNDOR WILL NOT REPLACE THE EGGS, THEN LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
REMEMBER - RECENT okay CHANGES HAS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE SELLER TO LEAVE THE BUYER NEGATIVE FEEDBACK SO YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO FEAR SELLER REVENGE REEKING HAVOC ON YOUR RATINGS.
IF YOU WANT A REALLY GOOD DEAL ON EGGS AND WANT TO LEARN MORE THERE ARE MAGAZINES ON GAME BIRDS AND READING THEM WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL. THE INTERNET ALSOHAS GREAT INFORMATIONAL LINKS AND SHOULD BE EXERCISED TO ITS FULLEST.