Red spot on egg

[Old mother hen]

I've been under the assumption that a red spot on the egg is a sign that the egg has been fertilized, my chicken just laid her 3rd egg and it had the red dot. I bought these in spring and they will be 18 weeks old. None look like a rooster, they are supposed to be all hens. What is your opinion?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Pics? On the outside or inside?

 

[M-H-Fielding]

The red spot does not mean that the egg is fertile, as far as I know. Look for a white spot or a tiny white ring in the yolk. If you find one, the egg is fertile.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where is the red spot? I'm guessing it's on the inside and is a blood spot. Wherever it is it has nothing to do with either fertility or a rooster.

This link talks about blood spots. They can be a tiny spot or color a big part of the egg white.

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/egg-quality-handbook/28/blood-spots

The yolk grows inside a membrane until it is big enough to be released to form an egg. That membrane is full of blood vessels carrying nutrients to the growing yolk. That membrane splits when the yolk is released. That membrane is supposed to split along a line that has no blood vessels but occasionally a blood vessel is where it is not supposed to be. So you get a blood spot.

It can happen to any hen but some are more prone to it than others. It's more common in pullets just starting to lay or in pretty old hens.

This happens with the commercial flocks. They candle the eggs and remove any that have a blood spot so customers don't get surprises. They don't throw those eggs way, they are safe to eat. They sell them at a reduced price to people that break them before they go to the customer like a bakery or a place that makes pet food. I might eat one myself if the blood spot isn't too big but at some point the YUK! Factor takes over and I give those eggs to the dogs or back to the chickens. Dogs and chickens don't have a YUK! Factor.

 

[Old mother hen]

Where is the red spot? I'm guessing it's on the inside and is a blood spot. Wherever it is it has nothing to do with either fertility or a rooster.

This link talks about blood spots. They can be a tiny spot or color a big part of the egg white.

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/egg-quality-handbook/28/blood-spots

The yolk grows inside a membrane until it is big enough to be released to form an egg. That membrane is full of blood vessels carrying nutrients to the growing yolk. That membrane splits when the yolk is released. That membrane is supposed to split along a line that has no blood vessels but occasionally a blood vessel is where it is not supposed to be. So you get a blood spot.

It can happen to any hen but some are more prone to it than others. It's more common in pullets just starting to lay or in pretty old hens.

This happens with the commercial flocks. They candle the eggs and remove any that have a blood spot so customers don't get surprises. They don't throw those eggs way, they are safe to eat. They sell them at a reduced price to people that break them before they go to the customer like a bakery or a place that makes pet food. I might eat one myself if the blood spot isn't too big but at some point the YUK! Factor takes over and I give those eggs to the dogs or back to the chickens. Dogs and chickens don't have a YUK! Factor.

Thanks for very informative answer!

 

[Old mother hen]

It was on the inside