Spot on yokk

[RodinBigD]

Hope this in the right forum.
I cracked open an egg this morning. It had a large spot on it. What is it?

 

[RodinBigD]

Thanks in advance

 

[Teila]

Hi there

I do believe they are blood spots.

The below has been excerpted from this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/98141/what-are-the-red-blood-spots-on-egg-yolks and I think there are probably more in BYC on this subject.

Apparently, you never see them in eggs sold at the supermarket as they are candled and any eggs with meat and blood spots are thrown out. All my research has indicated that they are OK to eat unless you are on the squeemish side

QUESTION:
What causes blood in eggs that are freshly laid?
ANSWER:
BLOOD SPOTS:
Blood spots occur when blood or a bit of tissue is released along with a yolk. Each developing yolk in a hen's ovary is enclosed in a sack containing blood vessels that supply yolk building substances. When the yolk is mature, it is normally released from the only area of the yolk sac, called the "stigma" or "suture line", that is free of blood vessels. Occasionally, the yolk sac ruptures at some other point, causing blood vessels to break and blood to appear on the yolk or in the white. As an egg ages, the blood spot becomes paler, so a bright blood spot is a sign that the egg is fresh.

Blood spots occur in less than one percent of all eggs laid. They may appear in a pullet's first few eggs, but are more likely to occur as hens get older, indicating that it's time to cull. Blood spots may be triggered by too little vitamin A in a hen's diet, or they may be hereditary - if you hatch replacement pullets from a hen that characteristically lays spotted eggs, your new flock will likely do the same.

MEAT SPOTS
Meat spots are even less common than blood spots. They appear as brown, reddish brown, tan, gray or white spots in an egg, usually on or near the yolk. Such a spot may have started out as a blood spot that changed color due to chemical reaction, or it may be a bit of reproductive tissue. Since meat spots look unappetizing, cull a hen whose eggs characteristically contain them.

 

[aart]

Usually blood spots are much smaller than that....but I had one even bigger a few weeks ago.
It was a one off, I knew who laid it and it hasn't happened again.
If it does continue to that extent, there is something seriously wrong with that hens internals.

From article posted above:
"Since meat spots look unappetizing, cull a hen whose eggs characteristically contain them."
I certainly wouldn't cull a hen who had small blood/meat spots, which are not uncommon at all.

 

[Teila]

Hey aart

Yeah, as I mentioned, that was just some research I carried out. I actually meant to delete that line and forgot. I am guessing that may have been written by someone in the business of selling eggs for a profit and having a hen continually laying eggs with meat spots would probably not be good for business.

I certainly would not cull a hen for blood or meat spots either; I love my little gals and the eggs are just a bonus

I agree, if one of my gals was constantly laying eggs with that size blood spot, I would also be concerned.

Hopefully this was a one of for the OP also.

 

[Blooie]

Wayyy back when we were a Navy family struggling to try to make ends meet while hubby was deployed for months on end, I didn't buy Grade A or AA eggs - every penny saved was one I could use for something else we needed, so I bought lower grades. I don't see them too much in stores anymore but back then you could buy AA, A, or B eggs. I always bought B, medium. It wasn't one bit unusual to find blood or meat spots in them, even coming from the grocer's. I grew very skilled at whipping those spots out of the eggs before the kids saw them and swore off eggs forever. I cringe when I find an occasional egg with a spot in it from my girls. Ma was an egg candler in the 1950s at Blue Ribbon Hatchery in Luverne, Mn when I was growing up, back when they candled the eggs by hand, one at a time. Lots of those "rejected" eggs came home with her, and she taught us never to break an egg into a pan or use one in recipe without breaking it into a dish first.

 

[Teila]

Hey Blooie

I am with you on that one, my gals have never laid an egg with a blood spot but I don't think I could eat it

My mother also taught me to break the eggs into a cup or dish before adding them to the previously opened eggs in the bowl. She did it because, being store bought, she was always concerned that one might be 'off'. Nothing worse than breaking a heap of good eggs into a bowl and then one of them being 'off' and having to throw the whole lot out.

I still do it to this day, even when I know the eggs are fresh from my gals; just a habit I guess and yep, no guarantees that one of them will not have the dreaded blood spot

 

[RodinBigD]

thanks for all the great info. I will keep an eye out for more. I only have two that are laying. Will try and determine which one it came from and keep an eye on her.