People are just realizing why we don't eat turkey eggs

While Americans feast connected turkey this Thanksgiving, galore person questioned wherefore the bird's eggs are not connected the paper - and it each comes down to the cost.

Unlike hens that nutrient 4 to six each 24 hours oregon so, turkeys driblet 1 each 2 weeks, making them rarer and much valuable.

Farmers would person to merchantability each ovum for astatine slightest $3, making a afloat twelve $36, compared to the $3.00 mean outgo for their feathered counterparts.

The chaotic bird's eggs besides contain doubly arsenic galore calories and grams of abdominous and 4 times the cholesterin arsenic those from hens.

However, Native American tribes and aboriginal European settlers dined connected the eggs.

Some Native American tribes, peculiarly successful the northeastern and southeastern US, domesticated turkeys agelong earlier European settlers arrived successful the 1600s. 

When Europeans took to consuming chaotic turkey eggs, they recovered them larger than chickenhearted eggs, making them a fashionable nutrient choice. 

But backmost location rumors dispersed successful France that turkey eggs were linked to outbreaks of leprosy, fueled by the birds' overseas origins and the public’s suspicion of caller foods.

At the aforesaid time, betwixt the 1500s and 1600s, Americans viewed the eggs arsenic a luxury item. 

By the 18th century, their popularity successful the US had grown truthful overmuch that domestication of turkeys became widespread. 

New York's iconic Delmonico’s restaurant, for instance, served turkey eggs scrambled oregon poached, arsenic good arsenic successful frittatas and omelets.

However, the emergence of concern poultry farming during the 20th period changed the scenery of American food. 

Technological advancements allowed farmers to specialize chickens for ovum accumulation oregon meat, making chickenhearted eggs much cost-efficient and readily available. As a result, turkey eggs began to suffer favor, and adjacent Delmonico’s yet removed them from their menu.

Today, turkey eggs are a rarity, sought chiefly by nutrient enthusiasts oregon farmers looking to conscionable the request for Thanksgiving. 

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported a shortage of turkey eggs. As of June 1, 2024, inventories of turkey eggs successful incubators fell to their lowest level since 1988, with conscionable 22.8 cardinal eggs. 

This shortage, attributed to outbreaks of avian influenza and the nonaccomplishment of breeding flocks, contributed to a 6% alteration successful turkey accumulation this twelvemonth compared to 2023.

Americans paid, connected average, astir $2.08 per pound, which is astir $31 per vertebrate that feeds 15 people.

And adjacent determination was a debased fig of turkeys, the terms was down 12 percent since past Thanksgiving.