# gorillas eat their poop, I'd rather eat meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 5, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866 "2001-04-05T01:55:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/21 "2001-04-14T14:03:14Z")
Assuming that the original French poster was A) sane and B) competent in his own language, may I suggest that, “It is not the case that, because one is a vegetarian, one would inevitably like brussel sprouts,” is far more clear and sensible? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/22 "2001-04-14T19:39:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*Pardon my asking, but aren’t all eggs sold for human consumption unfertilized? An egg farm would lose a lot of customers if a viable embryo were ever found in one. Even most folks who have no ethical problems with eating chicken would be disgusted by such a find. \*\* …on the other hand, maybe it already is. In the Philippines, you can get _balut_, which is a fertilized duck egg that’s been hard-boiled. The egg has been incubated for some time prior to boiling, so the duckling has already partially developed - it’s covered with a fine down and the bones and beak are still quite soft and mostly cartilage. The egg also still includes most of the yolk and the egg white. It’s served hot. To eat it, first crack the large end and carefully peel away the shell and membrane from that end. Sprinkle a little salt inside then down the “soup”, knocking back the egg like a shot of whiskey. Then you eat the rest of the egg much like an ordinary hard boiled egg, peeling off the shell and sprinkling salt (sea salt is best) with each bite. ---
**Author:** ![domina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@domina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domina)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/23 "2001-04-15T18:12:26Z")
There are regular old hen’s eggs at my supermarket that are marked on the package as fertilized. So if you buy them, you presumably know you take the risk of finding an embryo. Though I’ve eaten them, and they aren’t any different from other eggs. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/24 "2001-04-16T14:29:59Z")
If they’re “fertilized”, then there _is_ an embryo. Obviously, it’s a tiny one. ---
**Author:** ![Nisan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3be4f8/32.png) [@Nisan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nisan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/25 "2001-04-17T06:11:45Z")
Believe it or not, people commonly eat fertile eggs. As mentioned earlier, a fertile egg is one that could be hatched- assuming it hasn’t been subjected to much after erupting from the chicken’s ass! Seriously though, the embryo, as long as it is no longer viable shortly after the egg has been laid,( ie- the embryo has been fatally traumatized), you will see little more than a tiny spot of blood. Note that bloodspots in eggs do not necessarily indicate a fertile egg. (Consult the American Egg Board’s Website [http://www.aeb.org/](http://www.aeb.org/) for more information.) Just for your reference, it takes about 96 hours of incubation after the egg is laid for an embryo, (still transparent), with a beating heart, discernable eyes and the start of feathers to be visible with the naked eye. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/26 "2001-04-17T18:25:11Z")
\ I know this is off-topic, but I just wanted to say thanks to Muffin for this tip. I had not noticed the little red house before. So: thanks, Muffin. RR ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2001, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866/27 "2001-04-18T00:09:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RiverRunner \* > \*\*\ > > I know this is off-topic, but I just wanted to say thanks to Muffin for this tip. I had not noticed the little red house before. > > So: thanks, Muffin. > RR \*\* You welcome. Hope you enjoy the rivers on my page. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorillas-eat-their-poop-id-rather-eat-meat/60866.md?page=1)