Trader Joes & Other Grocery Store Egg Hatching Club - Are you a Member

[mattfulleroc]

Thanks for that.
I'll try my TJ store again where I was told they didn't know what I meant by fertile eggs.

I went to Whole Foods and got fertile eggs that were 14 days old.
I didn't open any to see if they were in fact fertile but it is now day 18 and they are all clear.
I had a chick hatch this morning from my eggs and it's egg was 15 days old when I set it.

That is exactly what happened when I went the first time and it occurred not only with Trader Joe's but at all three stores...They gave me a look which clearly expressed what they were thinking and by the time I stopped at the final store I almost walked right back out of the store without even asking and when I did I was so timid I am surprised they could even hear me speak. I honestly questioned whether my memory of reading posts about the San Diego stores was indeed correct and doubted myself until two days later when I recieved this note!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Oooo, what kind of chick hatched out of a Whole Foods egg?! Pictures!!! And FYI, the Trader Joe's in Brentwood does not have fertile eggs. I haven't checked the one in west county though.

It hatched from one of my stale eggs. None of the WF eggs developed.
I checked TJ on Olive twice. None fertile.
The first time checking a friend went there for me and the staff and customers all gathered around to hear more about incubating food eggs quite intrigued.

Cotton, are you a member of the St. Louis backyard chicken meetup group?

 

[Cotton42]

Cotton, are you a member of the St. Louis backyard chicken meetup group?

I think I joined back in the spring when I first got chickens, but I haven't been to anything yet. That's the group that does coop tours and things like that, right?

 

[2ndbritchick]

Little Jose made it through the night and is doing so well, pooping and eating. Kids are just thrilled, hope we get some more hatch today I don't want him to be lonely.

I am going to start some more for a friend next week. I looked in Wholefoods (Lafayette CA)yesterday and they are stocking Blackrock eggs from Petaluma so they are not travelling very far. Will find out their deliver day and buy some. Anyone else in San Fran area/ East Bay ever tried these ones?

 

[cluck-cluck]

Ok, so I just had a really hilarious thing happen to me while I was scouting a local organic grocery store for fertile eggs. When I found the store's egg-display, there was a lady look reaaaaaally closely at a particular plain-carton brand. I stood nearby and waited for her to move away since I figured those cartons were most likely to be local ones. After a minute, a man came up behind the lady and asked "Are they still here?". She responds "Yes, they haven't all sold yet."

This is where I butt into the conversation:

Me: "Um... excuse me, are these your eggs?"
Lady: "yes."
Me: "Ok, this is a really strange question, but do you free-range roosters with your hens?"
Lady: "......yes?"
Me: " That's great! You see I hatch grocery store eggs as a kind of hobby, and I came here today looking for fertile ones."
Lady: "........"
Me: (nervous I look crazy now) "So.... what kinds of hens do you have?"
Lady: "Gold Comets mostly"
Me: "Me too! I love them. Thank you for the information, it was really cool meeting you."
Lady: "Yeah.... have a good day."


So... awesome to randomly meet the owner, not awesome to come off as a crazyperson in public. Oh well, I'll call it a draw.

LOL, that's great! Did you buy any? Now that I'm older, I don't mind being totally crazy in other people's eyes, I just giggle to myself

I also think it's hilarious the way corporations come up with names for their workers. Captain just makes me think of Spongebob Squarepants!

LOL!

You gotta know their conversation afterwards went something like "Mary, they ain't eatin' our eggs..."

Last week after my failed attempt to find eggs at Trader Joe's, Sprout's Farmer's Market, and Whole Foods I was perusing their web pages and for the heck of it sent a note to Trader Joe's corportate office. It took them a few days but here was their reply:

Hello Matt,

Thank you for contacting us, and we do truly appreciate your inquiry. In response, we do indeed carry Large Grade AA Fertile Eggs (SKU 05648) in your local area stores, and they are priced at $2.99 for the dozen. So, we would recommend that you simply stop by and see your local store Captain for assistance with locating this product in your local store.

We do hope this information helps, and we thank you for shopping with us at Trader Joe's.

Sincerely,

Hazel
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations

I have no idea why I had such rotten luck when I went the other day but I am going to print the message and take it in to the store sometime this week when I am getting groceries. I think I will send a message to Sprouts and Whole Foods as well and see if I get a response and if I do perhaps I'll share the information with the group and maybe it will be a means for determing for certain which specific stores carry or don't carry the fertile eggs.

I will let you know what I find out!

Sincerely,

Matt

Awesome, really saves on gas and time! Now you know you can order them, but then you may end up with older ones? or ??

Little Jose made it through the night and is doing so well, pooping and eating. Kids are just thrilled, hope we get some more hatch today I don't want him to be lonely.

I am going to start some more for a friend next week. I looked in Wholefoods (Lafayette CA)yesterday and they are stocking Blackrock eggs from Petaluma so they are not travelling very far. Will find out their deliver day and buy some. Anyone else in San Fran area/ East Bay ever tried these ones?

Awesome, what a wonderful experience for the children! Hope you get more chicks to hatch today as well!

Well, I've dropped in to complain. My eldest two leghorns do not share the treats well, and are getting FAT! I think what I will have to do is stuff them back in the coop in the mornings, close the door and let the little ones eat the treats, then open the door back up to let the older girls back out, LOL. Fat leghorns, never saw a picture of that! I'm going to have to stop spoiling them!

 

[Pele]

LOL, that's great! Did you buy any? Now that I'm older, I don't mind being totally crazy in other people's eyes, I just giggle to myself

I also think it's hilarious the way corporations come up with names for their workers. Captain just makes me think of Spongebob Squarepants!

I did buy a pack! And 3 eggs went into the incubator too

 

[ellandeeranch]

I'm going to try another batch today. All clears last time, but maybe I'm better at leaving the hovabator alone now!

 

[Pele]

Wowsers, I'm getting amazing fertility with this batch of Whole Foods eggs!!!! I candled last night, and 10 out of 11 are showing clear growth. What!?! Don't they know they're grocery store eggs?!? What am I supposed to do with 10 chickens?

 

[gabrielle1976]

Wowsers, I'm getting amazing fertility with this batch of Whole Foods eggs!!!! I candled last night, and 10 out of 11 are showing clear growth. What!?! Don't they know they're grocery store eggs?!? What am I supposed to do with 10 chickens?

 

[theuglyduckling]

So I have never heard of people hatching eggs from the store. I'm a little confused because if the eggs are cooled doesn't that
stop them from being fertile or do those stores not cool them?