I suspect keeping them in the fridge
is a throwback to the days when people bought eggs from the farm gate and most farms had a cockerel.

As everyone knows, chickens produce eggs regardless of cockerel intervention in just the same way that women have periods regardless of men (or in spite of...some may say).

However, if there happens to be a cockerel around then there is a likelihood that some of your eggs will be fertile. If they are subsequently kept in a warm kitchen then there is the possibility that the cells will begin to divide and a chick will begin to develop.

There have been cases in the recent past where pet chicken owners have purchased free-range eggs from a supermarket, placed them under their broody hen and lo and behold a few weeks later a chick has popped out.

After being laid an egg remains in something like suspended animation until a certain temperature is reached and maintained - that's how birds can lay an egg a day, end up with a nest full of a dozen of them over a couple of weeks or so and then they all hatch at the same time.

Chickenlady.
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Wed 6 Aug 2008, 16:12, Reply)