Turkey eggs are perfectly edible, and according to those who’ve tried them, they taste quite similar to chicken eggs.
They’re just a bit larger, with thicker shells and membranes. So why is it not readily available?
Well, it mostly comes down to practicality, cost, and supply.
1. Turkeys don’t lay as many eggs
One of the biggest reasons we don’t eat turkey eggs is that turkeys simply aren’t prolific layers. A healthy hen can lay an egg nearly every day, amounting to about 250 to 300 eggs per year. In contrast, a turkey lays just two eggs per week, which adds up to about 100 eggs per year at most. That’s a big difference if you’re running a farm and trying to make a living off egg sales.
2. They take longer to mature
Turkeys also take longer to reach egg-laying age, about seven months, compared to five months for chickens. Those two extra months mean more feed, more space, and more care without any return until later. For poultry farmers, that delay translates to added costs, making turkeys a less appealing option for egg production.
3. They’re expensive to raise
Turkeys aren’t just slower, they’re also bigger and more demanding. They need more room to roam and eat more than chickens. Turkey eggs are one of the unusual animal eggs you can eat, and for turkey, it means higher overhead costs for housing, feeding, and managing the birds, especially on a large scale.
4. Most turkey eggs are reserved for breeding
There’s also the fact that turkey meat is in high demand. Turkey is the fourth most popular meat after chicken, beef, and pork. Since turkeys lay so few eggs, most of those eggs are used to breed more turkeys, not for consumption. Farmers are more focused on raising turkeys for meat than for egg production.
5. Cultural and culinary habits
Let’s not forget that habit and familiarity play a role, too. Chicken eggs have been a dietary staple across cultures for centuries. They’re the standard in baking, breakfast, sauces—you name it. Most people are used to the size, taste, and cooking behaviour of chicken eggs, and turkey eggs simply never had the same exposure.
In conclusion, turkey eggs are edible, nutritious, and even enjoyable to eat, but they’re not practical for mass production. Chickens are cheaper to raise, lay more eggs more often, and are better suited to the scale of modern egg farming. That’s why, even though turkey eggs exist, they would be too expensive for most consumers.
