Have you ever cracked open an egg in the process of making breakfast, only to find a red spot alongside the egg yolk in the pan? Have you assumed that this is a fertilized egg that would have turned into a fluffy yellow chicken, had it been given the opportunity? This article will settle your stomach and set your mind at ease, as it addresses some of these commonly held misunderstandings about eggs and fertilization.

If you’re looking at getting yourself some chickens for your backyard or are simply interested in the topic, it may pay first to have a read of some of the questions and answers supplied below. No doubt, you’ve been wondering about these same issues, but haven’t known whom to ask.

Does a Chicken Need to be Fertilized by the Rooster Before Laying an Egg?

Chickens don’t need roosters to lay an egg, just as female humans don’t need males in order to ovulate. Fertilization is only necessary if you want the eggs to hatch into chicks. This requires a ‘broody’ or ‘clucky’ chicken (that simply wants to be a mother) to sit on her eggs for a period of around 21 days.

Are Grocery Bought Eggs Fertilized?

If you purchase eggs from a store, it is highly unlikely that they are fertilized. Commercial poultry houses do not keep roosters amongst their chickens. If you purchase your eggs from a local farmer who has roosters running with the chickens, it’s possible that the eggs are fertilized. They won’t hatch into chicks however, unless sat on by a chicken (or put in an incubator, especially for this purpose). Fertilized eggs can be eaten because once they’ve been refrigerated, the chicken embryo will not develop.

Does the Discovery of a Red Dot in the Yolk of an Egg Mean it was Fertilized?

A red spot found alongside an egg yolk, is not an indication that the egg was fertilized. This is a commonly held misunderstanding. It is in fact a blood spot that was incorporated into the egg when it was formed as a result of broken capillaries from the reproductive system. If you purchase eggs from a grocery store, it is unlikely that you’ll find a blood spot within your eggs. This is due to the occurrence of ‘candler’ inspectors employed by commercial egg producers who routinely shine bright lights at the eggs in order to see if any contain these blood spots. Those that are found to contain this blemish, are removed.

If you’re concerned about the health hazards from eating eggs like this, there’s no need to worry. There are no issues with eating the blood spots found in eggs. Egg producers remove eggs like this mainly because of consumer preference rather than any related health issue. If you come across a blood spot within your egg, simply remove it. If it’s only small it’s likely to disappear when cooked anyway, and no one would be the wiser!

Author Bio: Kerry Mundt and her husband Brad live in South Australia where they manufacture ‘Royal Rooster’ chicken coops. Visit their website where you can purchase one of these modern chicken coops which would make a great addition to any backyard.

Category: Pets
Keywords: backyard chickens, chicken coops, fertile eggs