Question about eggs

[Dogwood Farm]

I know its been a very very very long time since I've been all and I can't thank everyone enough for everything I have learned from this site. Its the best. I have 28 chickens know. Nice variety of Buffs, Brahms, Astrolurps, Barred and a mixed or reds I hatched myself which I think are all Rhode Islands except for one red that has these neat tuffs of feathers at her ears and she lays green eggs. Have no idea what she is. She was hatch from eggs I bought from a lady.

My question is, I haven't had any roosters around since middle of Sept. and I don't believe any of my chickens were even laying yet then. I did have what I know for sure were fertilized eggs but the spots on the yolks weren't that big so I didn't concern myself. Well I have a lot more of my chickens laying now. Today I collected the most eggs so far. 14 eggs. Quite proud of my flock. I have notice every now and then I'm getting a speck of something and I think its in the white of the egg not the yolk. Does anyone know what this could be? I sure the eggs are clean so its not coming off the shells outside. I have been washing my eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might check out this site to see if any of the descriptions matches what you are seeing. My guess is meat spot, but that is a pretty wild guess. Don't take that guess to the bank.

Egg Quality Handbook
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/

And I'll give you another site. It could be the chalaza. It is certainly not from a rooster if you have not had one since September.

Mississippi State – Parts of an Egg
http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_parts_embryo.html

The green egg layer is an Easter Egger. Lucky you!!!

 

[Dogwood Farm]

I checked about the meat spot but the way it talks that happens with older chickens. Mine are all still under a 1 yr old. They were all hatched between May and June. But those are really great sites. Answered some of the shell questions I've been wondering about. I'll have to get a picture of it next time. Its almost like a speck of dirt in the egg white.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've found meat spots in mine, and they are 36 weeks old.

 

[Mandalina]

one of my hens has meat spots often in her eggs and she is less than a year old.

 

[Dogwood Farm]

Are the eggs still ok to use? The other day I just took a spoon and took out the speck.

 

[feathersnuggles]

No need to remove the meat spot. My layers are all about 38 weeks old and they have always laid A LOT of eggs with meat spots. It happens with well-exercised active hens. There was a similar thread here on BYC about a month ago.

Meat spots are created when the yolk detaches from the ovary. Sometimes the yolk detaches a little too soon and a bit of blood or tissue detaches along with the yolk. It happens when there's activity right at the time the yolk is near its point of detachment. Activity=movement=exercise. Battery hens are confined and not allowed to move much, so people who are accustomed to commercial store eggs are not used to seeing meat spots.

If your girls run, fly, jump, scratch around, take dust baths, preen their feathers, etc...they'll probably have a fairly high number of eggs with meat spots. Spots do not affect flavor or texture. I don't find the need to pick them out.

One more things about meat spots... they fade with age because of exposure to trace amount of oxygen inside the shell. So, besides indicating that your hens are active and happy, a meat spot is also a good sign of a very fresh egg!

 

[Dogwood Farm]

That would certainly explain it. My hens are out constantly. They get plenty of excersize. Only time I've kept them in this winter so far is when we had a week of temps in the teens.

 

[cobrien]

Quote:
It is posts like this that make me LOOOOOVE BYC! So interesting, thank you!