fertilized eggs vs. unfertilized eggs

[kattwoman]

For the last few months I've been reading this forum like crazy. This is our first time raising chickens. It seems everyone here has no problem eating fertilized eggs, but tonight at my sons boyscout meeting my dh was talking to another father who raises chickens. He said absolutely not to keep our rooster with the hens because the eggs will taste funny.

So now my dh comes home all frustrated because everything I tell him is different from what other people tell him. So, for the last time, is there ANY difference in taste, or anything that would explain why my dh was told this???

And no, we wouldn't know yet because our lazy freeloading hens have yet to give us an egg!

 

[KellyHM]

There is NO difference in taste. Just don't let your hens sit on the eggs and THEN try to eat them b/c they'll have half-formed chicks. As long as you collect them daily there's no problem and no difference in taste or nutritional value.

 

[Beekissed]

Nope! No difference in taste. The man is just silly!

 

[HBuehler]

We do keep ours separated because we don't want the hens bred over and over when we don't want the chicks at that time so why put her thru it for no reason.I also have hens that are not breeding quality that will never have a chick...but as for taste as long as they are fresh they should have no different taste.

 

[gumpsgirl]

That is the silliest thing I've ever heard, other than a lady at church announcing that she doesn't eat eggs because she doesn't eat fetuses.

There is absolutely no taste difference in fertilized and non-fertilized eggs. People concoct the dumbest things in their heads and convince themselves that they are true, then have to tell the world about it.

 

[Chickn chick 46]

I've had chickens for about 4 years now and my neighbor bought eggs from me once, when I had my rooster. She insisted that fertilized eggs provided the 2 extra, (ok, I may be wrong here) amino acids?

I do know that there isn't any diff. in taste.

I didn't have the roo for long b/c he was being a bully to one of my hens and now lives at my MIL's farm. She has never asked for eggs since. She gets them at the feed and grain down the street.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The eggs laid by chickens that eat green stuff, a variety of weed and grass seeds, fruits and vegetables, and/or creepy crawlies instead of just the prepared food mix will taste different from a factory raised egg. It will look different because the yolk will stand up better, That's because it is fresher. The yolk will be darker yellow or orange or even reddish because of what the chicken has been eating. None of this has anything to do with a rooster.

Many people that have backyard flocks feed their chickens differently than the egg factories feed their hens. The eggs look and taste different. Many people with backyard or barnyard flocks keep roosters. Since the eggs taste different from the store bought eggs, I can easily see where someone would blame it on a rooster. You actually get that a lot on this forum. I don't consider it silly, I just consider it something someone doesn't know but has believed someone when they were told a story. There is a lot I don't know and I'm sure I have accepted false explanations about some things myself.

When you do get eggs, they could very well taste different from the eggs you get from somebody else's backyard flock. That's because the hens are eating different things, not because some are fertile.

 

[kattwoman]

Thanks guys! I pretty much knew what the answers would be, but I just wanted to ask for my husband. (So he knew I wasn't just pulling this out of thin air.) I have no plans to remove my roosters from the hens!

 

[tothemoon]

I have had the same problem with my husband. He wont eat fertilied eggs because he says you arent supposed to. Thanks to these posts, I can tell him what he needs to know!

 

[thechickenchick]

Quote:
My DH read somewhere that fertilized eggs are better for you too. It may have been Mother Earth News? Not sure. I agree though there is no taste difference. I have had people tell me that we should not be eating our eggs because we have a rooster

Oh well at least I don't have to share with them!!