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| - Last Updated on October 18, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
A video on social media claims that farm-raised eggs are menstrual waste and humans should not consume it. We fact checked about the same and found the claim to be false.
The Claim
In a Facebook video, Acharya Manish, the founder of HIIMS, distinguishing between desi eggs and farm-raised eggs, arguing that farm-raised eggs come from hens that are not mated with roosters, while desi eggs result from the mating of hens and roosters. He also claims that farm-raised eggs are essentially menstrual waste.
Fact Check
In India, we eat both farm-raised and country eggs. Regardless of whether the eggs come from farm or country hens, they are typically unfertilized, meaning they have not been mated with a rooster. If a farmer wants to produce more chicks, they would need to keep a rooster nearby for the hens to mate. Farm-raised and desi (country) hens both lay eggs without a rooster. Hens produce eggs regardless of the presence of a rooster; however, only fertilized eggs laid by hens that have mated with a rooster can develop into chicks. Most commercial egg production, including farm-raised eggs, focuses on non-fertilized eggs to ensure consistent supply. Country hens may also be kept without roosters for egg production. Therefore, the eggs we typically consume, whether from farm-raised or country hens, are generally not fertilized.
As we scrutinize the nutritional impacts of our food sources, it’s worth considering how alternative treatments, such as leech therapy, fit into our overall health narratives.
What Are Farm-Raised Eggs?
Farm-raised eggs refer to eggs produced on commercial farms where hens are typically kept in large numbers. These farms can vary significantly in terms of how the hens are raised.
- Cage-Free: Hens are allowed to roam in a barn but have limited access to the outdoors.
- Free-Range: Hens have access to the outdoors but may not roam far from their barns.
- Conventional Caged: Hens are kept in small cages, which restrict their movement.
Farm-raised eggs are often labeled based on the conditions under which the hens are raised, which can affect the eggs’ quality and nutritional value.
What are desi eggs?
Desi eggs, often referred to as “country eggs”, are typically produced by indigenous or local breeds of hens that are raised in small, backyard farms or rural settings. These hens usually have access to outdoor environments and feed on a more varied diet, including grains, insects, and plants. Desi eggs are often perceived as being more natural and are generally considered to have richer flavours.
How do hens produce eggs? Are the eggs we eat fertilised?
Hens lay eggs through a fascinating and natural process. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how it happens:
1. Ovary Development
Hens have a special organ called the ovary, but they only have one functional ovary (the left one). This ovary produces tiny yellow balls called yolks. Each yolk is the beginning of an egg.
2. Fertilization
If a hen has been with a rooster, the eggs can be fertilized. This means that the yolk can be combined with sperm from the rooster, allowing it to develop into a chick if it is incubated. However, hens can also lay eggs without any rooster being present, and these eggs will be unfertilized. Most of the eggs we eat are unfertilized.
3. Egg Formation
Once a yolk is released from the ovary, it travels down the hen’s reproductive tract. As it moves through this tract, various layers are added:
- Egg White (Albumen): This is the clear liquid that surrounds the yolk. It provides protection and nutrition.
- Membranes: Two thin membranes form around the egg white and yolk, adding further protection.
- Shell: Finally, calcium carbonate forms the hard shell, which protects the egg and gives it its shape.
4. Laying the Egg
After about 24-26 hours from the time the yolk was released, the hen lays the complete egg.
The eggs we typically eat are not fertilized by a male rooster. Most of the eggs we eat come from hens raised without roosters, meaning they are unfertilized. Therefore, they cannot develop into chicks and are safe to eat.
Is there a difference in the way farm-raised and desi eggs are laid?
No. While the biological process of laying eggs is fundamentally the same for all hens. But the quality of eggs depends upon the environment, diet and conditions under which they are raised.
- Farm-Raised Hens: In commercial settings, hens are often bred for maximum egg production to fulfil the demands. They can lay an egg almost daily due to selective breeding and optimized feed. However, conditions like stress from confinement can impact their overall health.
- Desi Hens: These hens usually lay fewer eggs compared to their commercial counterparts, typically around 3-5 eggs per week. Their slower production rate is often due to a less controlled diet and environment but can lead to eggs with a richer flavor and nutritional profile.
Are farm-raised eggs considered menstrual waste?
No. The term “farm raised eggs are menstrual waste” is a misconception same as plastic eggs. All eggs, whether from farm-raised hens or desi hens, do not menstruate in nature. Hens do not have menstrual cycles like mammals. Instead, they lay eggs as part of their reproductive cycle.
When a hen lays an egg, it’s part of her natural process and doesn’t depend on whether the egg is fertilised by a rooster.
In simple terms, all eggs come from the same process inside the hen’s body. Whether an egg can turn into a chick (if it’s fertilized) or is just an unfertilized egg that we eat, it all starts the same way. The main difference is if the egg has sperm from a rooster or not.
Environmental specialist and botanist Nidhi Singh says Chickens don’t have uteri, so they don’t menstruate like mammals. Instead, in farms they produce eggs as per farmer’s requirements. If a farmer wants to sell eggs for consumption, they won’t fertilize the eggs with a rooster. But if they want more hens, they’ll mate the hens with roosters, and the fertilized eggs will hatch into chicks. In the wild, birds lay only a few eggs each year, but humans have bred chickens to lay eggs much more often and in larger sizes. The hens that lay the most and biggest eggs are often kept alive so some of their eggs can be fertilized to produce new chicks.
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