How curious is this?!

[Pele]

Oh stop, stop I can't breathe!!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaa!

*wipes tears out of eyes* Thank you, I needed a good laugh. The Egg Nutrition Board is just lining it's pockets with 'donations' from Commercial egg producers. I guess they've never heard of White Leghorns, which are the primary producers of commercial white eggs.
What a bunch of children, thinking such an obvious lie will keep them out of trouble with consumers for overcharging.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
Sounds more like white leghorns are all they've ever heard of.

 

[csummer8882]

Looks like I started a lively conversation! LOL

 

[CarolynF]

Ok... here is what I found at a U. of Illinois site ...
Poultry Industry and Production Questions

1. Why do brown shelled eggs cost more than white shelled eggs?

Brown shelled eggs cost more because the chickens th at produce these eggs eat more feed and production costs are more.

2. Why are brown shelled eggs bigger than white shelled eggs?

Brown shelled eggs are bigger than white shelled eggs because they are produced from a dual purpose breed (eggs - meat) that is larger in size (6-7 lbs.) than a Leghorn breed that is smaller in size (3-4 lbs).

I could have sworn Leghorns are a lot bigger than 3-4 lbs. Do they use a dwarf version for commercial eggs? And futher, aren't Black Sex Links used for the commercial brown eggs, and they aren't any bigger than a leghorn (except for these 3 lb dwarfs).

My head is beginning to ache!

 

[Pele]

CarolynF, that was my immediate first thought too. I think what we're running into is that the white leghorns are more tolerant of starvation than other breeds. Any animal will be smaller and lighter if you feed them the bare minimum like the commercial facilities. They are in it for the money, and only need to keep the birds alive for about 12 months before they discard them (ie sell them to a dogfood factory for profit). Commercial egg facilities do love to cry about how poor they are, and how hard it is to give hens good living conditions because it's soooo expensive. But when you factor in the byproducts that the birds produce for them, such as high quality fertilizers, it's a lot like the NFL team owners crying about how poor they are.