What To Do With Infertile Turtle Eggs?

We have seen enough campaigns and protests about saving turtle eggs. Of course, we support the cause. But what if the turtle eggs are infertile? What to do with the eggs, then?

You can feed infertile eggs to lizards, snakes, or skunks. Turtle eggs are edible for humans, so you can use them in cooking. Infertile turtle eggs, being rich in minerals, are also excellent as soil fertilizer. While using infertile turtle eggs as food or fertilizer is beneficial, discarding them is also an option.

Why do turtles lay infertile eggs? Is it possible to hatch those clutches? Find the answers below.

Key Takeaways

• You can turn infertile eggs into delicious meals for your pet lizards, skinks, alligators, and snakes.
• Enrich the garden soil with the infertile turtle egg fertilizer.
• Infertile turtle eggs appear yellow or white, and they do not hatch.

4 Ways to Handle The Infertile Turtle Eggs

Infertile turtle eggs might seem pretty useless. But in reality, it is possible to utilize them. Here is what I do with my turtle’s infertile eggs,

1. Feed Other Pets

It might sound odd or disgusting. But yes, you can pull off a delicious feast out of the infertile egg pile.

Hognose snakes, blue tongue skinks, corn snakes, monitor lizards, tegus, and other carnivorous or omnivorous pets enjoy turtle eggs.

One more interesting fact. Turtles themselves will devour the infertile eggs without any complaints.

I am not kidding. Turtles do eat eggs.

The eggshell contains calcium, which helps these creatures build strong skeletons. You can dry and sprinkle the crushed eggshells on their meals.

It will act as a supplement. Likewise, the yolk and albumin are excellent protein sources for their bodies.

However, raw eggs can pose health risks for turtles. Thus, experts suggest boiling the eggs before offering them to these pet reptiles.

Trying to get a handle on Eggs + Turtle Reproduction? This page has all you need to know. Do Turtles Lay Eggs In Water?

2. Can You Eat The Eggs?

Eating fertile turtle eggs is banned. But there are no such regulations on infertile eggs. So, can you eat them?

See, turtle eggs are considered a delicacy worldwide.

Tribal people believe these eggs can increase their sex drive and lifespan. No wonder they feast on turtle dishes at any festival.

Surprisingly, tourists of the coastal areas also fall for such false claims. Not to mention that they get intrigued by the taste, too. No wonder the demand for turtle eggs is rising instead of tagging them illegal.

I am sorry to break down, but turtle eggs have no magical powers to give you immortality. But yes, these eggs contain minerals like protein, omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, phosphorus, calcium, etc.

So, eating the infertile eggs will not be a bad idea. Right? Umm..maybe!

I have never tasted turtle eggs in my life (either fertile or infertile), and I have no plans to do so. Studies have proved that these eggs can carry parasites and metals that can lead to kidney damage and liver cancer. Who wants to risk his health over some stupid eggs anyway?

3. Use As Fertilizer

Eggs make excellent fertilizers as they are great sources of minerals. I generally utilize the infertile eggs to enrich the soil quality of my garden. Thanks to the egg nutrients. My plants are thriving.

4. Throw Them Away

You can just leave the eggs in the nest outdoors and let Mother Nature take care of them. If you want to do nothing with the eggs, just throw them in the garbage. Do not feel sad. These eggs will not hatch anyway.

Why Do Turtles Lay Infertile Eggs?

Let me share an astonishing fact with you.

Female turtles can lay eggs even without mating. Yes, yes. The species can store sperm from a previous mating for years and fertilize the eggs later. As the gap between copulation and fertilization increases, the risk of turtles laying infertile eggs goes up.

But I am not talking about this. Turtles can lay their eggs without being involved in any copulation at all. I am not joking.

When the female turtles reach maturity, their body starts producing eggs. These eggs will mature over time even if the turtles do not mate. It is impossible for these creatures to reabsorb these eggs. So, they dispose of them out of the body, and here we have infertile clutches.

Curious about Eggs + Turtle Reproduction? Let’s keep it simple and clear. How Deep Do Turtles Bury Their Eggs?

How Do You Know The Eggs Are Infertile?

Don’t look so confused. I am here to help you distinguish between fertile and infertile eggs.

• First of all, look at the color of the eggs. The fertile eggs appear pink or red right after deposition because the blood vessels are still visible. On the contrary, the infertile eggs are yellow or white. There are no blood vessels or veins wrapping the eggs.
• Second, you can hold a flashlight against the eggs. You will spot embryo development (a tiny black dot) in the fertile eggs. The infertile eggs show no such signs.
• Finally, within weeks, the fertile clutch will show signs of chalking (white patches take over the shell). No chalking will ever happen on infertile eggs. The only discoloration you will notice is bacterial growth on the shells.

You can wait for months, but the infertile eggs will not hatch. Instead, you will only experience a putrid smell coming out of the clutch. It is a sign that the clutch is rotting.

What if you have fertile eggs but do not want to welcome new babies? Just freeze the eggs and throw them away.

Before You Go

Do you know the signs of fertile eggs? Yes, you will notice redness on the eggshell and wrapped up blood veins, etc. But there are more! The attached article talks about them all. 

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