This is a question
we have received by email several times
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.
Excerpt from "Storey's Guide
to Raising Chickens", by Gail Damerow ISBN: 1-5801-7325-X. Used with Permission.
This book is highly recommended and it is available from our Poultry
Book Store at a 30% discount off the list price.
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