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Ask Dr. Gourmet
Is it safe to eat fertilized eggs?
Is it okay for kids and adults to eat fertilized eggs? I thought all eggs we eat are unfertilized. We have friends/family starting their own backyard chicken farm with hens and roosters with plans to eat the eggs and the roosters. Should we have any health concerns?
Dr. Gourmet Says...
It would be perfectly safe to eat fertilized eggs. Often eggs will be fertilized when roosters and hens live together (hey, they are chickens after all). You can tell if an egg is fertilized after breaking it because there will be a small white spot on the yolk.
After fertilization the embryo will grow only if kept warm. Incubation stops when the hen is not setting on them (or when you remove the egg to the refrigerator).
You can find out almost everything you might want to know about eggs at this excellent page: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/FAQs.html
Thanks for writing,
Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet