When checking eggs you are cooking....

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Blood is edible.

It is also a good carrier of pathogens.

 

[lilmillefleur]

As long as you don't end up with scrambled balut...!

 

[aart]

How do you know if they are fertile? (Fertilized?) My orp rooster isn't old enough, but I'm pretty sure my other hens had access to a rooster before I got them.

The only thing I've noticed so far is that almost every egg has a white spot....

Yep, every egg yolk has a white spot...if there is a ring around that white spot, then it's fertile.
This thread shows a plethora of examples of fertile and non-fertile yolks:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures
ETA....sorry, not as good as I remember.

Here's pic I have of fertile eggs from my flock:

 

[HollyWoozle]

I usually crack them into a separate vessel first and if they look and smell fine then I go with it (don't mind a spot of blood etc). Only once have I cracked an egg that had gone off somehow and it was straight into a bowl of other baking ingredients which were then all ruined. Hence why I now always go into another vessel first to be on the safe side.

 

[SomeChickinTN]

Yep, every egg yolk has a white spot...if there is a ring around that white spot, then it's fertile.
This thread shows a plethora of examples of fertile and non-fertile yolks:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures
ETA....sorry, not as good as I remember.

Here's pic I have of fertile eggs from my flock:
View attachment 1684330

Thanks I haven't seen that yet. But fertilized eggs are ok to eat, right?

 

[aart]

But fertilized eggs are ok to eat, right?

Yes.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is also a good carrier of pathogens.

Hence the need for cooking.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks I haven't seen that yet. But fertilized eggs are ok to eat, right?

Some people seek out fertile eggs because they believe them to be nutritionally superior. I believe that is nonsense or at least inconsequential. Really no difference.

 

[SueT]

But fertilized eggs are ok to eat, right?

Yes of course. -- the reason we are checking for fertility is to see if we are consistently getting fertile eggs for hatching.

 

[aart]

So who has some really good(in focus and well lit) pics of yolks both fertile and not.
I'll put them in an article.
Maybe I should start a new thread for collecting good images?