People Are Only Just Realizing Why We Don’t Eat Turkey Eggs

When it comes to breakfast, most of us automatically reach for chicken eggs. They’re cheap, easy to find, and used in just about every recipe under the sun. But have you ever wondered: why don’t we eat turkey eggs? After all, turkeys lay eggs too — so why aren’t they sitting in cartons at the grocery store next to the chicken eggs?

It turns out there are some fascinating (and practical) reasons behind this.

🥚 1. Turkeys Lay Far Fewer Eggs

Chickens are egg-laying machines, producing around 250–300 eggs per year. Turkeys, on the other hand, only lay about 100 eggs annually. That makes their eggs a lot less abundant — and therefore much harder to farm commercially.

🦃 2. Turkeys Are More Valuable for Meat

Unlike chickens, turkeys are mainly raised for their meat. Farmers get much more profit from selling a full-grown turkey than from collecting a few dozen eggs each year. Simply put: turkeys are worth more on the dinner table than in the egg carton.

🍳 3. Turkey Eggs Are Bigger (and Pricier)

Turkey eggs are noticeably larger than chicken eggs, with thicker shells and speckled patterns. They’re perfectly edible — rich, creamy, and delicious — but because they’re so rare, they tend to be expensive. Some farms that sell them directly charge up to $3–$5 per egg!

🛒 4. They’re Not Practical for Mass Production

Because turkeys eat more food, require more space, and don’t produce eggs as consistently, they simply aren’t as efficient to farm for eggs. Chickens are far more cost-effective, which is why they dominate the market.

✅ The Bottom Line

There’s nothing wrong with turkey eggs — they’re safe to eat and taste quite similar to chicken eggs, just a bit richer. But the low supply, higher costs, and practicality of farming chickens instead mean you’re unlikely to ever see turkey eggs in your local supermarket.

So next time you’re making scrambled eggs or a fluffy omelet, you’ll know exactly why chickens rule the egg aisle — and why turkey eggs are more of a farmyard curiosity than a kitchen staple.