When you think of eggs, you probably picture a small, oval, white or brown egg, most likely a chicken egg. Chicken eggs are common in kitchens all over the world, especially on a Christmas day like this but there’s another type of egg that doesn’t often make it to your breakfast plate: turkey eggs. 

These eggs are larger, creamier, and have a unique taste, but they’re not something you see every day. So, why don’t we eat turkey eggs more often? 

Turkey eggs are expensive

The first and most obvious reason turkey eggs aren’t on our plates is their price. Chicken eggs are very cheap compared to turkey eggs as they are a whole different story. 

A single turkey egg can cost anywhere up to a dozen chicken eggs and that’s a big difference, which it’s not something most people are willing to pay for on a regular basis.

Why is there such a price difference? It all comes down to supply. Turkey eggs are much less common than chicken eggs, which makes them harder to find and more expensive when they do show up in stores or farmers’ markets.

Turkeys don’t lay many eggs

One of the reasons turkey eggs are so costly is that turkeys simply don’t lay as many eggs as chickens. Chickens can lay around 250 eggs a year, while turkeys lay only about 100. That’s about two eggs a week, compared to the two to three eggs per week from a chicken. So, with fewer eggs being produced, the price goes up.

This also means that farmers have to work harder and longer to gather enough turkey eggs to make them available to the public. With fewer eggs to sell, it becomes harder to make a profit, and that cost is passed on to consumers.

Turkeys take longer to mature

Chickens are ready to start laying eggs at just five months old. But turkeys don’t start laying until they are at least seven months old, and sometimes it takes even longer for them to start producing eggs. On top of that, turkeys don’t lay eggs as regularly as chickens, which makes them a less reliable source of eggs.

Because of this longer wait and less frequent egg-laying, it takes more time and effort to raise turkeys, adding to the overall cost of turkey eggs. This makes turkey eggs less practical for farmers to produce in large quantities, further limiting their availability.

Bigger eggs, bigger costs

Turkey eggs are not only fewer in number, but they are also much larger than chicken eggs. A single turkey egg can weigh up to 115 grams, nearly double the size of a typical chicken egg, which weighs about 50 grams. 

While this might sound appealing if you’re looking for a bigger omelet, it also means that producing and handling these eggs is more expensive.

The larger size of turkey eggs means more resources are needed to care for the turkeys that lay them. Feeding, housing, and taking care of turkeys costs more than doing the same for chickens. Plus, turkey eggs take longer to mature, which means farmers need to spend more time and effort before they can even begin collecting them. All of these extra costs contribute to the higher price of turkey eggs.

Limited availability

While you might find chicken eggs in almost every grocery store, turkey eggs are a rare find. Large-scale grocery stores don’t typically sell turkey eggs because they are difficult to produce in large quantities, and they don’t have the same demand as chicken eggs.

Turkey eggs are more commonly found at farmers’ markets or from small farms that raise turkeys. But even then, their availability is limited, and not every farm sells them. This makes turkey eggs a novelty item rather than a regular breakfast option for most people.

Conclusion

Turkey eggs might sound like an interesting alternative to chicken eggs, but they come with a lot of challenges that make them less popular. From their high price tag to the difficulty in finding them, turkey eggs just aren’t as practical or accessible as chicken eggs. 

While they may make for a fun and fancy treat now and then, for the most part, chicken eggs remain the go-to choice for your morning omelet, baking needs, or even a quick snack.

So, the next time you crack open a chicken egg, remember that there’s a bigger, creamier cousin out there – the turkey egg – that’s just too expensive and rare to replace your breakfast staple.