Help! Is this egg fertile?

[curranchickens]

Okay, I am a city girl that moved to the country three years ago. I got my first chickens last summer. I have 7 pullets and some of them just started laying this past Saturday. My girls were hatched last June and my cockerel was hatched last September. I have gotten 3 to 4 eggs a day for the past week. I ordered an incubator and it is on its way now. I cracked open an egg that I just got from the coop this morning and can not tell if it is fertile or not. I have NEVER in my life had eggs not purchased from a grocery store so I am not sure what they are supposed to look like.

There is a cloudy mass around the side of the yoke and a speck of something next to the yoke.... IS this egg fertile? (or was it fertile?) and if not fertile, is it safe to eat with that cloudy mass and the speck?

Just in case you need to know, this came out of a Lavender Orpington.

 

[chicmom]

That speck isn't an indication of fertility. What you need to look for is commonly called the "bullseye". It's a whitish shadow of a dot. I wish I had a pic to show you.

That speck is something that just happens occasionally with eggs. Some people call it a meat spot. Perhaps something has "sluffed off" from the ovaduct when the egg was being formed. It's nothing to worry about and you can still eat your egg if you want.

The color of your yolk is beautiful!

Sharon

 

[curranchickens]

So this egg is NOT fertile? I guess I should not even try to incubate until I am sure they are being fertilized.... My incubators are due to arrive on Monday... Maybe I will order some cheaper hatching eggs (to start with) and concentrate on those while my girls are getting ready.

 

[meshellrose]

can't tell b/c we can't see the white spot in the yolk. wish I'd have taken a pic of mine this morning to show you

 

[kathyinmo]

 

[curranchickens]

Thank you all for your help and pictures! I cracked open an egg from today and saw a ring...It was difficult to photograph as I kept getting the reflection spot from the camera on the yoke. Here are two pictures of the same egg but with different lighting due to camera reflections. I am hoping that this is the "bulls-eye" I have been trying to "hit"... What do you think?

Also, if it is fertile.... I have a question... I have lavender orpingtons. I had a blue and a black orpington in the pen with them up until about a week and 1/2 ago. I understand that you have to separate chickens for two weeks before breeding but since they were not fertilized before and now they are (maybe), then can I safely assume that the cockerel that is in there with them now is the one who did the deed?

 

[meshellrose]

looks like a bullseye to me, I have no idea about the whom did it thing though..sorry

 

[kathyinmo]

Looks like a fertile egg to me! Congratulations!

I would say you are probably right, in that the new rooster is likely the sperm donor. Just a guess, but I would go for it.

 

[meshellrose]

Good luck though..they look very fertile. I put mine in the bater after getting the bullseye on one egg and they are developing

 

[quintinp]

Yeah, the little speck is called the germ.

That last picture looked like a fertile egg to me.