If you’ve been eating or using eggs for any length of time (hello almost everyone!), you probably have had a blood spot in your egg once or twice. While this isn’t appealing to the eye, you need to know that they are perfectly fine to consume or use!
What Are Blood Spots in Eggs?
Contrary to popular belief, a blood spot does not mean that the egg is fertilized. It simply means that a blood vessel ruptured while the hen was laying the egg.
What Causes Blood Spots in Eggs?
Several factors can contribute to the presence of blood spots, including:
Environmental Stress: Lack of fresh water, improper diet, or being startled while laying can stress hens and cause blood spots.
Genetics and Health: Some hens are genetically predisposed to laying eggs with blood spots, while others may experience it due to underlying health issues.
Natural Egg Laying Process: Sometimes, blood spots simply occur as part of the intricate process of forming and laying eggs.
Picture Credit: Fresh Eggs Daily
Is There a Connection Between Blood Spots and Fertilized Eggs?
I have had people politely decline farm fresh eggs because they’re afraid of a baby chick surprise. So, if they see a blood spot, they assume the spots are the start of a little chick. We know this is not true and that you need a rooster to have fertilized eggs.
Why Don’t You See Blood Spots in Store-Bought Eggs?
Blood spots are not usually found in supermarket eggs because those eggs are candled before they’re packaged. Candling is an egg-grading process in which the egg is inspected with a penetrating light in a darkened room for signs of fertility, defects, or freshness. First used to check embryo development in eggs being incubated, candling is used in modern commercial egg production primarily to rate quality.
Can Backyard Chicken Keepers Candle Eggs?
Yes! Candling can also be used for backyard chicken keepers if you're incubating your own eggs and hatching chicks. Unfortunately, candling backyard chicken eggs for defects is a little more difficult due to their color and pigmentation layers. Visit this link to check out all of the tips and tricks on candling eggs!
Picture Credit: Britannica
What About Blood Spots in My Eggs?
In our personal flock, we have all hens. Occasionally, I will find a blood spot in one of our eggs. Depending on the size, I may just scoop it off the egg. Otherwise, we’ve eaten a few eggs this way and we are just fine!
It’s also important to note that the speckles or spots you see on the eggshell itself are not blood spots—they are part of the unique bloom that each chicken adds to their egg.
Picture Credit: Healthline
Until next time,
-The Wing Lady