There seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding the topic of eggs in general, and more specifically eating fertilized eggs. Someone may have told you that without a Rooster, there will be no eggs. Or perhaps an animal lover friend of yours doesn't eat eggs, due to the belief that all eggs we eat are fertilized and could have potentially hatched into a chicken.
If you're looking at getting yourself some chickens for your backyard or are simply interested in the topic, it may pay first to have a read of some of the questions and answers supplied below. No doubt, you've been wondering about these same issues, but haven't known whom to ask.
Is fertilization essential for egg production?
Chickens don't need roosters to lay an egg, just as female humans don't need males in order to ovulate. Fertilization is only necessary if you want the eggs to hatch into chicks. This requires a 'broody' or 'clucky' chicken (that simply wants to be a mother) to sit on her eggs for a period of around 21 days.
Are all the eggs we eat fertilized?
If you purchase eggs from a store, it is highly unlikely that they are fertilized. Commercial poultry houses do not keep roosters amongst their chickens. If you purchase your eggs from a local farmer who has roosters running with the chickens, it's possible that the eggs are fertilized. They won't hatch into chicks however, unless sat on by a chicken (or put in an incubator, especially for this purpose). Fertilized eggs can be eaten because once they've been refrigerated, the chicken embryo will not develop.
Is the discovery of a red spot within an egg a sign that it was fertilized?
A red spot found alongside an egg yolk, is not an indication that the egg was fertilized. This is a commonly held misunderstanding. It is in fact a blood spot that was incorporated into the egg when it was formed as a result of broken capillaries from the reproductive system. If you purchase eggs from a grocery store, it is unlikely that you'll find a blood spot within your eggs. This is due to the occurrence of 'candler' inspectors employed by commercial egg producers who routinely shine bright lights at the eggs in order to see if any contain these blood spots. Those that are found to contain this blemish, are removed.
There are no health hazards from eating eggs like this - it's more of a consumer preference that they're not there! If you come across a blood spot and it is small, it can be removed and the egg used. Small spots tend to disappear when cooked, but can be removed with a spoon before cooking.