Bulls-Eye!!

[FeathersFlying]

We were making deviled eggs for Thanksgiving and I hard boiled a few of "our" eggs to show the kids how hard it is to peel freshly laid eggs. (That is why the egg looks so ratty!) The rest of the eggs were store bought eggs that we all know sat around in storage before ending up at the grocery. Anyway, after boiling and peeling this egg I cut the fresh egg in half and was taken aback. There was a "bulls-eye" in the yolk. It reminded me of tree rings.

The kids and I checked it out closely then decided to take a photo and ask the knowledgeable folks on this forum. What caused the ring in the yolk? Also, if you look closely, on the right half on the far right side of the albumen there is a reddish streak. I figured that was probably a blood spot, we get them periodically.

This is our first year with chickens. Amazing how much there is to learn about them!

 

[sharol]

How cool is that? I hope someone has an answer. I'd like to know, too.

 

[pawprint2104]

I haven't seen this in any of my eggs. Sorry, no help here.

 

[drumstick diva]

I thought I've heard chicken folks say the bullseye means the egg is fertile.

 

[NellaBean]

Not sure....kind of looks like a blood ring. Do you collect eggs daily and keep them where they can't start to develop?

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

The bullseye of fertile eggs is on the membrane of the yolk, and is very tiny, not in the middle of the yolk... Could this be a partially incubated egg? Maybe 2-5 days of development? Just throwing out ideas.

Oh, and there are plenty of tips on hard boiling fresh eggs if you actually want ones you can peel. I forget the details, but do a search. It's usually boiling for 13 minutes, and then plunging them into ice water. I forget, but I've tried it, and it works.

Curious to see what people say about the rings...

 

[aduplantis]

Looks like a blood ring to me also. As soon as I collect my eggs out of the nestbox daily they go in an egg carton straight into the fridge. I never have a problem with peeling my eggs. I boil them 6minutes after the water boils and they peel just like store bought eggs.

 

[FeathersFlying]

Thank you for the responses.

NellaBean or aduplantis what is a blood ring?

I don't think that the egg would have had a chance to incubate. We are very diligent about gathering eggs every afternoon and check again when the chickens go to 'bed' just in case anyone decided to lay late. As soon as the eggs get in the kitchen they are brushed off and put in the fridge. I have a phobia that I will crack open an egg and find a wing or leg or teeny tiny baby.

I know it takes much longer to develop the embryo than the eggs are even out...but still...the idea of it wigs me out!

As for hard boiling the fresh eggs - exactly what do you do? I know they peel better cold and made sure they were chilly but did not put them in ice water. Is there a special length of time they should boil as opposed to the length of time store eggs take? I'd love to be able to hard boil ours.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
My thoughts too. Kinda neat looking though.

 

[speckledhen]

A blood ring happens when an embryo dies in an egg and the blood moves out away from the embryo. What you're seeing is not the bullseye we're talking about with a fertile egg. That, you wouldn't be able to find in a boiled egg.