Store-bought organic eggs...fertile?

[Mac in Wisco]

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Hmmm... Interesting. They must be packing up excess layer breeder eggs and selling them as table eggs.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Something for ya'll to mull over.

Commercial layer hens come from a pyramid of parent stock that has been developed by the large poultry genetics companies such as HyLine, Hubbard, ISA, Shaver, etc.

The great-grandparent flocks are at the top of their genetic lines. These are relatively small flocks of several thousand birds that are bred for specific traits. They are kept under lock and key in state of the art, highly bio-secured facilities with bio-tech laboratories. These flocks are the heart of the genetics companies' multi-billion dollar industry.

From these flocks, eggs are shipped out to various countries where grandparent flocks are maintained by company subsidiaries. These grandparent flocks produce eggs that are shipped out to regional areas where the layer breeder (or broiler breeder) flocks are hatched and raised and the eggs for the final F1 hybrid layer hens are produced. (The grandparent/parent flocks are generally two different breeds). The layer breeder flocks produce the millions of hens that lay billions of eggs each year.

Of course at this level it is always cage free production as they are all breeders. It is only at the layer level that they can be kept in cages.

As far as organic production goes, as far as I know, none of the grandparent or parent flocks are raised organically, only the layers producing the table egg for the consumer are raised organically, from the first day of life.

For the previous reasons it would be rare to find commercial organic eggs that are actually fertile. Unless they are coming from a very small and local producer, organic layers are not raised as breeders. There is no benefit to be had for doing so.

It looks like Trader Joe's is selling excess eggs from commercial layer breeder flocks. If there isn't enough demand from the hatchery the extras are being packed up as table eggs. Of course they are cage free (as they come from breeders) and not organic, as there generally aren't any organic layer breeders.

 

[guinea fowl galore]

I don't get the whole hatching trader joes eggs thing

I mean Isn't it supposed to be fun and exciting setting a dozen eggs that you know nohing about, like what the chickens are where they came from IF they're even fertile. Then you get one or two chicks and it's amazing. But with trader joes eggs, duh of course your going to get chicks, they're fertile eggs.


But yeah I'd set some of those organic eggs. I think one looks fertile. It'll be a surprise

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

The "benefit" of having fertile eggs is the market for them. TJs caters to an audience that thinks fertile eggs are healthier, and they get a higher price for them than regular. Whole Foods is similar - in fact, the Big Fat Thing at Whole Foods right now is Easter Egger eggs. They call them Azuluna eggs and charge $6 a dozen for them. The boutique egg producers are profiting a lot more than whatever it costs to feed a rooster for every fifteen or twenty hens.

If I weren't aware that there were so many people willing to pay a premium for fertile eggs, I'd think that you were right and they were extra or waste eggs. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're deliberately produced, possibly from the same flocks selling the cage-free eggs. I've seen bulls-eyes on plenty of store-bought cage-free eggs.

 

[kickinchicken]

Well, 2 of the eggs came from Shaws, owned by Start Market and one came from Stop N Shop, owned by Ahold Foods. Both large, commercial stores. I think I am going to try to incubate a dozen of each and see where it gets me. Gotta build an incubator first! Off to find supplies on Craigslist now. Gotta look at that HOW-TO on building your own incubator! I will post results once I get rolling. Should be fun!

Ashlee

 

[treldib]

Whole Foods Market "Large Cage-Free Brown, Organic) are fertile! From the 2 eggs I set, both were developing and 1 hatched! He/She is about a week old now and currently sleeping on top of our Barred Rock

It is white with a few black spots like a California Leghorn but it came from a Brown egg so...? Pics and a thread in the "What breed or gender am I?" section soon...

 

[Mac in Wisco]

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Probably a red sex-link rooster.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

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That could be. To market a specialty "fertile" egg would make more sense with brown, natural or organic eggs though, unless they feel that they're already pushing the price limit on organic eggs and are trying to add a premium to cheaper eggs.

 

[treldib]

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Probably a red sex-link rooster.

I was thinking that but, wouldn't the laying hens that these eggs came from be Sex-Links (since Organic Eggs are not intended for hatching) ? Sex-Link x Sex-Link = not Sex-Link so he/she most likely isn't a sex-linked bird...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Very interesting thread!!!