Cackleberries

I'm trying a new experiment. What I'm hoping for will mean less work and less cost. What I'm worried about is less quality.
Last year my Preschool helper (meaning the adult that helps me, not a preschooler who is a helper) talked me into taking a few of her chicks. She said that the hens would grow up to be excellent mothers, unlike the overbred egg laying machines I usually have around. 2 hens and 1 rooster survived. The rooster is quite full of himself and honestly believes that he is in charge of his harem. He is a little (a variety of bantam sized chicken) Phoenix - too small to eat. One of the hens is also a Phoenix, and the other is a Silkie. She is a truly goofy looking chick (haha).
Well, my helper Kelly was right. The girls have been hit with spring fever/maternal instinct/broodiness. They have gathered up their own eggs and eggs from the big girls (barred rock, buff orpington, stupid whites, and auracana) and scarcely budge from their nest. The bigger hens climb in on top of the little hens when they want to lay an egg. I marked 15 eggs today and I think I'll separate any others that are laid (to eat). I wish I could figure out how to make the rest of the hens lay their eggs in one of the other nest boxes, but they all want the same one. Wierd.
So, to figure out if the eggs are viable (see if Mr. Phoenix is all that he thinks he is) you can you can A: look at other eggs after cracking them, or B:"candle" the eggs, or C: (most likely) just wait and see.
Identifying fertility in fresh eggs. If not fertile, an egg has a blastodisc. If fertile, cell division prior to oviposition (laying) results in a blastoderm.


After about a week of incubation, you can candle eggs, by making a cardboard cone, the big end of which fits over a strong flashlight. If you hold the eggs over the small hole with the light on (dark room is essential) an infertile egg will appear clear, whereas a fertile egg will be dark looking and will show small veins inside the shell. Those that have died in the shell often appear as a dark line across the shell.
A fresh egg appears clear with only a small air cell.
After 10 days of incubation, an infertile egg has an enlarged air cell, and the yolk causes an obvious dark area in the egg.
After 10 days of incubation, a fertile egg has visible blood vessels and a dark spot that is the embryo.

Now then, were you listening carefully? Taking notes? There may well be a quiz. Lowest grade gets all the roosters (after we do option C). Butchering chickens just isn't what Nate prefers to do with his time.