Does this mean I have a rooster?

[dulcimer lady]

I have 9 chickens. Three full blooded RIRs and six TSC RIRs. They are all over 21/22 weeks old and I've had them since week 1. I've been watching and honestly have not seen any roo type of behavior and haven't seen anyone develope spurs. It's a very calm little chicken run out there and everyone gets along. But now I'm getting eggs - have been getting them about 2/3 weeks - and a few times I've had that little red "spot" in my eggs. Can unfertilized eggs have those? Or do I just have a sneeky roo among the ladies?

 

[chicmom]

Those little red spots don't indicate fertilization. I think they're called meat spots or blood spots and they're perfectly harmless. I think something just "sluffs off" in the reproduction system and ends up in the egg.....That will probably stop as they continue laying.

 

[Mahonri]

The eggs with the meat spot all most likely being laid by the same hen each time.

 

[sourland]

Chicmom is right on the money. If you are not hearing crowing, you probably don't have a rooster. Fertile eggs look only slightly different from non-fertile in that they have a slightly enlarged blastocyst.

 

[19hhbelgian]

I think you'd probably hear some sort of a crow going on by now if you had a rooster... Like everybody else stated, that's a blood spot - nothing to worry about, but does not indicate fertilization either

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree, but just wanted to add - spurs generally do not develop early. My adult roo didn't have respectable spurs until he was almost a year old.