yolks with a spot?

[Alley]

I've been noticing a small light brown poopy looking spot the size of two pin heads in my easter egg layers eggs. Is this normal? What is it and is it okay to eat?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Is it a meat spot maybe?

 

[Alley]

What's a meat spot?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Basically exactly what it says it is. Sometimes it gets trapped in an egg.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Agree that it is called a meat spot. Should be ok to eat.

 

[Alley]

Thank you... what causes a meat spot?

 

[RocketDad]

I had to research this to keep my wife from freaking out.

The yolk detaches from the ovary, and sometimes it can detach a bit soon, and a bit of blood or tissue comes along with the yolk. Like a loose tooth, sorta. The "old wives tale" was that meat spots came from frightened chickens. Maybe, if the farm dog was chasing them. It seems that it can happen from activity when the yolk is near the point of detaching.

Commercial white eggs NEVER have meat spots for various reasons:
-- Research (sorry, I don't have the links) suggest that brown eggs are more likely to have meat/blood spots
-- Commercial eggs are candled to identify them, and those are sold in different ways. White eggs are easier to candle with automatic machinery.
-- Battery hens are confined, so they don't have a chance to jump off the roost at just the wrong time of day.
-- As the hen matures, they are less likely to occur
-- As the egg ages, the blood is bleached out by oxygen, so it doesn't show.

They're fine to eat. If it bugs you, pick it out, or scramble the egg.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Fresh eggs from exercised birds have those spots. Absolutely no flavor or texture when you use them. I don't pick them out. I actually LOVE seeing those spots, cuz it tells me the hen was active and it tells me the egg is fresh.

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
Cool--- I was wondering about that too--- I knew they were "meat spots" but wasn't sure what caused them... I do have healthy ACTIVE pullets....

 

[Alley]

Okay... but it looks like a small poop? It's not a blood spot and she's a green egg layer if that helps and they are free range all day and cooped up at night. Sorry to sound like a ding dong but I've only had chickens for a year.

Thanks for your help!