eating fertilized eggs

[GeoMel]

Hi, fairly new chicken owners here. We've got six layers that we've had for about six months.

If we get a rooster and have fertilized eggs, can we still eat the eggs if we want? Also, how will I know whether or not the eggs have been fertilized?

Thanks for any help.

 

[newchickenmomma]

hi and welcome to chickens and the new byc site.

having fertile eggs does not mean you cannot eat them, they taste the same and look the same.

you can tell they are fertile by looking at the white spot on the yolk (blastidisc) if you look at your eggs now, the white spot should by small like a pin head, if you look at the yolk of a fertile egg, it is bigger and has no center, in other words its more a white ring instead of a spot. (blastoderm)

 

[ChrisnTiff]

Some people will actually pay more for fertile eggs to eat, though I don't believe there is any nutritional difference. I wouldn't let my fertile eggs sit out on the counter in really warm weather for any extended period of time, just in case an embryo starts to develop. Good luck

Chris

 

[Henriettahen]

I had a roo with my hens...I ate all the eggs..I never checked if they where fertile. They tasted all the same to me

 

[V Chic Chick]

I eat fertile duck eggs from the people down the road when my hens aren't laying. They taste just the same

 

[blackrooster]

thay do taste the same but thay have a differnt color yolk the fertal is darker

 

[silkiechicken]

Nope. Color has nothing to do with fertile or not. You can't even tell when it comes to eating. It's just an extra half of a cell which got in and made it fertile.

 

[Akane]

The yolk color comes from what the hens have been eating not that they are fertilized. There is no taste, color, nutritional, etc... difference between fertile and infertile eggs. The only difference is a tiny white spot that you've probably never even noticed on your eggs before and if no one told you about it you probably would never notice even if you started eating fertile eggs.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. Check out this thread. It's very interesting.

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