No taste difference and they keep for the same amount of time. They look pretty much the same, too. This thread is stickied in the Incubating and Hatching Eggs forum and it has excellent pictures. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008
Any differences are in your head and not in the eggs.....some folks just don't like the idea of eating "fertilized" eggs.....probably the same folks who don't drink water cause of what fish do in it...... It falls under the category of "urban legends" and is fairly common in the general population. any egg bought in a standard grocery store will be unfertilized and coming from an egg producer. Every now and then a customer of mine at the local farmers market will ask the question and will not buy because of the answer....although the current flock has no roo so I'm safe for awhile.... Human nature is quirky for sure.
When I used to buy eggs I would frequently get fertile ones (in the regular box of eggs, not the ones marked "fertile") at various times of the year. All egg houses also have massive hatching facilities...and contracts to deliver x number of eggs per day / week / whatever. And we all know that hens can be unpredictable with laying habits, even production breeds. So I have surmised that during the winter, when egglaying can decrease, the commercial egg producers walk over to the hatching sheds and fill out their contract orders wtih fertile eggs. Same during the summer when the heat causes decreases in production or in the spring when the hatching house is overloaded with fertile eggs.
Quote:That theory has been confirmed by my neighbor who has worked for Tyson in many capacities over the years. They are allowed to include fertile eggs in store bought ones if for some reason there are not enough unfertile ones.
