Fertile or Infertile?

[NewbieChickenMomma]

Hello! I'm new to this site and I'm not even sure if this is the right category for my question but I've had chickens since the end of June. I started with 1 adult laying Rhode Island Red...beautiful breed!!...and 11 mix breed chicks of varying ages from 1-3 weeks. I unfortunately lost a few chicks and now have 6 beautiful birds! They are approx 21-23 weeks old and I'm 99% positive I have a rooster!! I've had some questionable eggs in my pan lately, some weird..almost tissue looking things..so I'm thinking he's starting to fertilize my eggs, which I dont want!! This morning my egg didnt have any tissue because it was very fresh but I think I see the "bullseye" white spot...just wondering if there are any experts here that can help me detect if my eggs are being fertilized or not...I'll attach photos of my morning egg. Any advice is greatly helpful & apperciated!!

 

[Pyxis]

Those aren't bullseyes, those are just the regular white spots that are always on the eggs. They are called blastodiscs. When they are fertilized they become blastoderms and look like a bullseye.

Quick edit, after looking more closely, I may see a faint ring around the white dot. It's hard to get a good picture of an egg yolk. If there IS a ring around the white dot, then yes, it's fertile.

Also, I think you're a little misinformed about fertile eggs. There will never be any 'tissue' or embryo development unless a hen is broody and has been sitting on the eggs a couple days or you have put them in the incubator. They don't taste differently from infertile eggs and you cannot tell the difference at all aside from the little bullseye mark.

Tissue is a piece of the hen's reproductive tract that got accidentally put in the egg while the egg was being made. A new layer can have problems like this while her body gets into the swing of egg production, and it can also happen sporadically even with older established hens. It's not a developing chick.

At four to five months old, a rooster would be obvious. Can you post a picture of the chicken you have that you think is a rooster?

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

Also if you have a rooster eggs WILL BE fertilized sooner or latter UNLESS the roo is a bantam and the hens large fowl then the roo might have some "issues"

 

[Windus]

Also if you have a rooster eggs WILL BE fertilized sooner or latter UNLESS the roo is a bantam and the hens large fowl then the roo might have some "issues"

My little Silkie Roo managed to fertilize a Lavender Orpington at least 3 times his size!

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

My little Silkie Roo managed to fertilize a Lavender Orpington at least 3 times his size!

very impressive. I guess maybe I was thinking like the Serema's and such

 

[NewbieChickenMomma]

Thank you so much!! I am a bit misinformed because Google isn't very consistent with results I get. Thank you for giving me some clear information!

You would think it would be obvious by now but in comparison to my female Rhode Island Red, they look a like...so thats why I'm only 99% sure. The one in question is the tan colored one, and I got my Rhodie in the background for comparison. Please if you can say for sure if this is a Rooster, that would be beyond helpful!

 

[Dimples_vixi]

Hi, this is a fertile yolk, it has a “Bullseye” shape to it.

 

[NewbieChickenMomma]

Hi, this is a fertile yolk, it has a “Bullseye” shape to it.

Ok, thank you!! Thats very clearly the bullseye

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

Also almost certain that you have a roo. Notice the long pointed feathers on its neck and the long narrow draping feathers at the top of the tail.

 

[Windus]

Please if you can say for sure if this is a Rooster, that would be beyond helpful!

Rooster, you can tell by the feathers on the neck for one thing