Red spot in yolk, sans rooster?? Huh

[Chicken Lil]

Okay you guys are the experts, but I thought if an egg yolk had a red blood clump in it that it means it is fertilized? If so something is up in my hen house.

I have 8 hens all of whom are actively laying, definetly no roosters anywhere around, as I am the only one in the neighborhood with chickens, plus they are in an enclosed yard.

I opened several eggs for a quiche last night and two of my Wyndotte eggs had this blood clot in the yolk. Boy am I confused. Is this normal?

Lil

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

A red blood spot in the egg usually happens with the hens just started laying, and there egg making system is working out the kinks.

 

[warmfuzzies]

I always thought that too, then I read it is a white spot, and its really hard to tell if its fertile or not, and the white spot is always there. Am I right guys??

 

[Tuffoldhen]

http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_parts_embryo.html

Blood spots or Meat spots as they are called are ruptures from blood vessels as the hen lays the egg. The article above is a good read. They just need spooned out of the egg, it does not hurt the taste.

Fertile eggs have a white disc looking bulleye in the yolk part of the egg. The Thread below shows fertile and non-fertile eggs and what to look for.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

 

[Chicken Lil]

Oh boy now I'm really confused as the two eggs with the red spot also had a white lump in them, like a little bulls eye. I did not think anything about that, but you folks say that means they are fertilized. Gadzooks!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Yep... red spots don't mean anything about fertility. All eggs have the white disk, but when it looks like a bullseye, then it's fertile. Of course, you can eat fertile eggs just the same as non-fertile eggs... no difference.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

You have to look for the sperm disc that's inside the white disc.

 

[cackleberries]

Thank You so much for this info I have always been taught the blood spot ment fertile. Do you see this white disc when you candle??? or do you just put the eggs in bator and pray they are fertilized. Im going to try to hatch my very 1st batch & now im confussed

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
The only way to tell a fertile egg is to crack a few in a dish or bowl and look for the Blastoderm disc as shown in the post I gave in this thread or to start incubation with them and candle on day 7 to see veining and the embryo.

 

[cackleberries]

Quote:
The only way to tell a fertile egg is to crack a few in a dish or bowl and look for the Blastoderm disc as shown in the post I gave in this thread or to start incubation with them and candle on day 7 to see veining and the embryo.

Thank You I will try the candle on day 7 since i only have 12 eggs to work with