Curious about selling fertile eggs

[IceAngel]

The bullseye idea is a myth. You cannot see anything until the egg has been partially incubated.

You are definitely wrong on this, HeritageGoose13......... but for chicken eggs you might need to put on glasses and make sure to check all sides of the yolk.

I know this only from Turkey eggs which are somewhat larger. The reason I know this to be a fact is because I wasn't sure if my Turkey Tom was doing his duty. As I never saw him mount my female and because I didn't know his exact age, I wasn't sure if my Turkey eggs were fertile. Being the Scientist that I am, I researched this forum where it was suggested I break an egg open and check for the bullseye. The egg I broke open had not been incubated and sure enough there was the bullseye. The bullseye is not large and can easily be missed.

For your sake I wish I had taken a picture of it because sometimes "seeing is believing".

To this day, I still have never seen my Tom mount my Turkey Hen but since I have four separate hatches, I know that he must just be shy, lol.

 

[torilovessmiles]

The bullseye idea is a myth. You cannot see anything until the egg has been partially incubated.

The "bullseye" is a small collection of cells that would form into a chick if incubated, not a myth. Refer to this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures
People use this method to test and see if their eggs are fertile before they begin collecting eggs to incubate. You can't see this without cracking the egg open, obviously. It is different from a bloodspot, you must not be seeing the right thing. All eggs have either a dot/ blastodisc (infertile) or a bullseye/blastoderm (fertile).

It still doesn't make a difference in eating the egg, and no one with an unfamiliar eye would be able to tell. You don't need to disclose anything because it doesn't make a difference, and people may not like it "just because".

 

[HeritageGoose13]

That little white dot? Always thought that was part of the yolk. When people says bullseye I think red like a bloodspot.

 

[torilovessmiles]

That little white dot? Always thought that was part of the yolk. When people says bullseye I think red like a bloodspot.

The white dot is part of the yolk. That's what gets fertilized and turned into a chick when incubated. When fertilized by a male, that white dot's cells begin to divide and look like a bullseye.
The bullseye is white, and wider than the white dot. Refer to the pictures in the link

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Yeah I saw the pictures. Its just, in real life, when people showed me "the bullseye" they showed me a red bloodspot.

 

[torilovessmiles]

Yeah I saw the pictures. Its just, in real life, when people showed me "the bullseye" they showed me a red bloodspot.

I suppose they saw the wrong thing, too. Eggs with bloodspots rarely hatch even if fertile. The "bullseye" we look for is exactly what it looks like in the pics, and certainly not a myth, it's biology

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Yep, I see now. Once I gave someone eggs and one of the dozen had a bloodspot, she started freaking out because she thought it was a chick.

 

[IceAngel]

Well part of that is true. The egg is the largest single cell we know of. The yolk is the nucleus of the cell, the white is the cytoplasm. When an egg gets fertilized one lucky sperm penetrates the egg yolk. This would be known as a zygote in the mammalian world....there is probably proper terminology for it in the avarian world. The zygote will start to develop if the conditions are right. Put the egg into the fridge and that ceases development. Put it into an incubator with the right temp and humidity and development is quick.

I knew that bloodspots have nothing to do with fertilization. I found this explanation for them in BYC, which makes a lot of sense. It's always wise to consult more than one source, however.

Sorry, that I couldn't give credit to the person who posted this because I don't know how to copy quotes from one forum to another but I believe her name was Tina.

QUESTION:
What causes blood in eggs that are freshly laid?
ANSWER:
BLOOD SPOTS:
Blood spots occur when blood or a bit of tissue is released along with a yolk. Each developing yolk in a hen's ovary is enclosed in a sack containing blood vessels that supply yolk building substances. When the yolk is mature, it is normally released from the only area of the yolk sac, called the "stigma" or "suture line", that is free of blood vessels. Occasionally, the yolk sac ruptures at some other point, causing blood vessels to break and blood to appear on the yolk or in the white. As an egg ages, the blood spot becomes paler, so a bright blood spot is a sign that the egg is fresh.

Blood spots occur in less than one percent of all eggs laid. They may appear in a pullet's first few eggs, but are more likely to occur as hens get older, indicating that it's time to cull. Blood spots may be triggered by too little vitamin A in a hen's diet, or they may be hereditary - if you hatch replacement pullets from a hen that characteristically lays spotted eggs, your new flock will likely do the same.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Well part of that is true. The egg is the largest single cell we know of. The yolk is the nucleus of the cell, the white is the cytoplasm. When an egg gets fertilized one lucky sperm penetrates the egg yolk. This would be known as a zygote in the mammalian world....there is probably proper terminology for it in the avarian world. The zygote will start to develop if the conditions are right. Put the egg into the fridge and that ceases development. Put it into an incubator with the right temp and humidity and development is quick.

I knew that bloodspots have nothing to do with fertilization. I found this explanation for them in BYC, which makes a lot of sense. It's always wise to consult more than one source, however.

Sorry, that I couldn't give credit to the person who posted this because I don't know how to copy quotes from one forum to another but I believe her name was Tina.

QUESTION:
What causes blood in eggs that are freshly laid?
ANSWER:
BLOOD SPOTS:
Blood spots occur when blood or a bit of tissue is released along with a yolk. Each developing yolk in a hen's ovary is enclosed in a sack containing blood vessels that supply yolk building substances. When the yolk is mature, it is normally released from the only area of the yolk sac, called the "stigma" or "suture line", that is free of blood vessels. Occasionally, the yolk sac ruptures at some other point, causing blood vessels to break and blood to appear on the yolk or in the white. As an egg ages, the blood spot becomes paler, so a bright blood spot is a sign that the egg is fresh.

Blood spots occur in less than one percent of all eggs laid. They may appear in a pullet's first few eggs, but are more likely to occur as hens get older, indicating that it's time to cull. Blood spots may be triggered by too little vitamin A in a hen's diet, or they may be hereditary - if you hatch replacement pullets from a hen that characteristically lays spotted eggs, your new flock will likely do the same.

Yes I know all of this. Its just a difference in terminology.

 

[IceAngel]

Yes I know all of this. Its just a difference in terminology.

No, HeritageGoose, you said the Bullseye was a myth..... and you said it with such conviction that if I didn't know better, I would have believed you.....and bloodspots are not the same as bullseyes.

Anyways it's good to know that you can tell if your rooster is doing his job by looking for a bulleye. This will just tell you the egg you cracked was fertile and that your rooster isn't shooting blanks. Not every egg that is laid will be fertile though even if you have more than one rooster. While one rendezvous can fertilize many eggs, some ladies evade the gentlemen while others drawn them like flies, lol.