Mink Hollow Farm

	Fresh Eggs: Blood Spots
	This duck egg has several small blood spots. Can't find them? - try a marked close-up.	The blood spot on this goose egg is quite noticeable
Where do Blood Spots Come From? When a new egg is ready to be made, a mature yolk is released from it's follicle in the ovary. Usually, the follicle bursts along a line that contains few, if any blood vessels (called the stigma). Sometimes it doesn't tear exactly along this stigma and a tiny blood vessel will get torn when the egg is being released.. The blood that escapes ends up on the egg. It is harmless.
	Does a blood spot mean the egg was fertilized? Blood spots have no connection with whether or not an egg is fertile. Both fertile and IN-fertile eggs can sometimes contain bloodspots.	Watch a short clip of this egg with a blood spot being candled.
	The blood spot in this egg is fairly obvious. If you look carefully, you might even be able to see the reddish tinge in the white.	Watch a short clip of the egg on the left being candled.
On our farm we get less than five eggs with blood spots in every 1000 eggs. Blood spots are more likely to occur when the birds are just starting to lay, either as young birds or after a winter break.	Watch a short clip of the above egg with a blood spot being candled.
	Even one as small as this can be seen when candling.	Watch a short clip of the egg (left) with a tiny blood spot being candled.
How is an egg made?	Can't watch the movie? Download the Quicktime media player.