Are fertilized eggs okay to eat?
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Fertilized eggs are fine to eat, in fact some people claim they healthier than unfertilized eggs, although we've never seen any data supporting that. (Let's be honest; if the fertile egg is fresh and unincubated, you're going to have the addition of just half a cell.)
Illustration by Ray Yang for My Pet Chicken
It is impossible to taste the difference between a fertile and an infertile egg, and barely possible to SEE the difference between a fertilized and non-fertilized egg with the naked eye. If you look closely--and if you have good vision--you will see that a fertile egg has a faint bullseye on the yolk, while for an infertile egg, it will just be an irregular spot.
Illustration by Ray Yang for My Pet Chicken
Fertile eggs will only develop and hatch if incubated, either by a hen or in a man-made incubator, and it takes 21 days of exacting conditions, including just the right temperature and just the right humidity. if you gather your eggs regularly every day, they will NEVER develop.|||fertilized chicken eggs, fertile, fertile eggs, hatching eggs|False 50|What is this black spot or thin string attached to my baby chick's rear end?|It's your chick's umbilical cord, and if you notice, that black, scabby spot or string will be below your check's vent or "pooper." Be SURE not to confuse this with pasting, which occurs on the vent, not below it. Usually the umbilical cord falls off immediately during hatching, but sometimes it can hang around for a few days (or it falls off but the belly button takes a while to heal, leaving a scabby spot). This can happen whether you hatch at home, or if you order from My Pet Chicken or another hatchery.
Please don't try to remove it, as that can cause excessive bleeding for your new baby, and you do NOT want the umbilicus to become infected. It'll eventually fall off on its own, and the spot will heal, just like it does for a human infant.
If the other chicks seem to be picking at it, you may have to separate this chick until it does fall off. You can also use a little iodine on the umbilicus to help speed the process of drying and to ensure there is no infection. Iodine is the best thing you can get at home to use for this---don't use peroxide or alcohol. Use iodine. Just a dab once a day for two or three days should be plenty.
Illustration by Ray Yang for My Pet Chicken
It is impossible to taste the difference between a fertile and an infertile egg, and barely possible to SEE the difference between a fertilized and non-fertilized egg with the naked eye. If you look closely--and if you have good vision--you will see that a fertile egg has a faint bullseye on the yolk, while for an infertile egg, it will just be an irregular spot.
Illustration by Ray Yang for My Pet Chicken
Fertile eggs will only develop and hatch if incubated, either by a hen or in a man-made incubator, and it takes 21 days of exacting conditions, including just the right temperature and just the right humidity. if you gather your eggs regularly every day, they will NEVER develop.|||fertilized chicken eggs, fertile, fertile eggs, hatching eggs|False 50|What is this black spot or thin string attached to my baby chick's rear end?|It's your chick's umbilical cord, and if you notice, that black, scabby spot or string will be below your check's vent or "pooper." Be SURE not to confuse this with pasting, which occurs on the vent, not below it. Usually the umbilical cord falls off immediately during hatching, but sometimes it can hang around for a few days (or it falls off but the belly button takes a while to heal, leaving a scabby spot). This can happen whether you hatch at home, or if you order from My Pet Chicken or another hatchery.
Please don't try to remove it, as that can cause excessive bleeding for your new baby, and you do NOT want the umbilicus to become infected. It'll eventually fall off on its own, and the spot will heal, just like it does for a human infant.
If the other chicks seem to be picking at it, you may have to separate this chick until it does fall off. You can also use a little iodine on the umbilicus to help speed the process of drying and to ensure there is no infection. Iodine is the best thing you can get at home to use for this---don't use peroxide or alcohol. Use iodine. Just a dab once a day for two or three days should be plenty.
