Fertilized egg??

[Verl]

So we recently discovered one of our hens is a rooster!! Haha.

I cracked open an egg after about a week of not cooking eggs and noticed this dot in the center...is this what a fertilized egg looks like???

 

[Rickba]

Yes, a large white dot in the center is a fertilized egg. It doesn't effect the flavor.

 

[lazy gardener]

No. All eggs have the white dot. In a fertile egg, it will be much larger, and spread out, perhaps looking like a bulls eye. In an infertile egg, it will be much smaller, looking almost like a large grain of salt embedded under the yolk membrane, with very distinct borders. This pic came from "hatching eggs 101" in the learning center:

I urge you to read all of the information in that article before choosing to hatch any eggs, whether you use a broody hen or an incubator. Also, have an exit plan for the approximately 60% of cockerels that you will end up with, and be sure you have plenty of room for those new birds. The recommended minimum space for a back yard flock is 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird. Even more space if you are keeping a roo, or if you have multi age birds/or are integrating, which you will be. Don't hatch eggs unless you can emotionally deal with the possible need to cull a malformed?non-viable chick.

 

[ronott1]

All eggs have a white dot. Fertilized eggs have a ring around the dot. It looks like a doughnut or a target

You likely do not have a rooster

 

[lazy gardener]

Ron, what are you basing the "don't have a roo? statement on? You must have more info from OP than what she included in this post. Could be she has a young cockerel who is crowing and mounting the pullets. But... good to get this ? answered!