Happy Thanksgiving, And An Egg-Celent Question

Today (Thanksgiving) and throughout the upcoming holiday season, thousands of turkeys will be at the center of thousands of meals in and around Traverse City; it’s tradition. But why not turkey eggs? The Ticker inquired.

Turns out it’s mostly a matter of economics. Chickens eat less, lay eggs far more often (generally one a day, compared to a turkey which only lays two or three per week), and they begin laying them sooner, at about five months of age, while turkeys don’t have their first cycle until seven months.

Eggs laid per year:
Chicken: 265
Duck: 60-180
Goose: 12-30
Guinea: 100
Turkey: 100
Quail: 200

Turkey farmers also make more money from hatching and then selling chicks than by selling the eggs. And chickens take up much less room. A Slate magazine story notes that commercial egg producers typically allocate 50 square inches of space or less to a hen; turkeys are given more than three square feet. For those of you scoring at home, that’s enough to accommodate eight chicken hens.

For all those reasons, turkey eggs are much harder to find than chicken or even duck or quail eggs. Sue Duerksen of Duerksen Turkey Farm in Mancelona says her farm sells turkeys for meat but chooses not to sell eggs. “We used to be a breeder farm, now we’re just a (turkey) meat farm. There’s nobody in this area that raises turkeys for the eggs that I know of,” she says.

It’s too bad, because turkey eggs offer several advantages to chicken eggs. They are larger, so you need fewer of them (think two turkey eggs for three chicken eggs). They are great for baking, imparting a fluffier quality to cakes and other baked goods. And they’re good for you. Turkey eggs are loaded with minerals, especially selenium and iron. They also provide vitamins, especially vitamins B-9 and B-12.

The Slate article notes that before the domestic chicken egg took over the market, turkey eggs were a menu staple in North America; wild turkeys roamed the continent before the arrival of humans.

Turkey eggs also have some major nutritional disadvantages, though. Each egg contains 2.9 grams of saturated fatty acids, as well as a whopping 737 milligrams of cholesterol, more than twice the daily recommended cholesterol limit outlined by the American Heart Association and 13 percent of the recommended daily saturated fat limit.

As another alternative to chicken eggs, duck eggs offer some of the same advantages. They are more nutritionally dense and impart a fluffier texture to baked goods. Both turkey eggs and duck eggs have thicker shells, keeping them fresh longer than chicken eggs. Duck eggs boast more Omega-3 fatty acids, and those who are allergic to chicken eggs can often eat duck eggs.

Another exotic that gets plaudits is quail eggs; they are smaller and have a more delicate flavor than chicken eggs. They aren’t as common as chicken eggs, but are far easier to find than turkey eggs. Devin Moore, education and outreach coordinator at Oryana Natural Foods Market in Traverse City, says the store doesn’t always stock them, but they are often available.

Another potential benefit: “They’re really cute,” says Moore, referring to their speckled shell.