Genetic companies
Two words that you might not expect to see together: genetics and companies. But they exist, in many shapes and forms within the livestock industry.
These companies are very high up the production chain. So as a consumer, being at the end of the chain, you don’t really have anything to do with them directly.
Genetic companies specialise in genetic selection and breeding of, in this case, chickens. Through the selection and identification of genes, these companies aim to breed chickens with a higher number of laid eggs, great eggshell qualities, and other important egg traits.
The genetics companies’ product? A specific breed of bird, often complete with a name, logo, product traits and loyal buyers.
Hatcheries
The story starts at the hatchery, where fertile eggs are hatched into lively chicks. These are often farm-like buildings where the fertilised eggs come in, hatch and are sold as day-old chicks. And we’re not talking about thousands, but often millions and millions of eggs per hatchery – it’s really a high-volume game.
Modern hatcheries use incubators to create an environment that closely mimics the mother’s nest. So no, in case you were wondering, fertilised eggs in hatcheries do not hatch under the mother’s wings but in big heating cabinets that mimic those conditions.
Traditionally, once the chicks have hatched, they are selected based on their sex. The male chicks are traditionallyculled at this point because they don’t lay eggs and are considered unprofitable birds (this is where in ovo sexing comes into play!). The female chicks are inspected for health and vitality and are off to a farm where they are raised until they’re fully grown birds that lay eggs.
Rearing farms
Once the chicks have hatched, it’s time for them to move to rearing farms where they will be raised for their future as laying hens. During this stage, which typically lasts for seventeen weeks, the birds go from babies to rebellious teens, to mature egg layers.
Once the chicks have grown into adolescent hens, they’re ready for their first day on the job. So they’re transported to laying farms where to produce eggs that eventually reach our plates.
The layer farms
Laying farms are the heart of the egg value chain and the place we are the most familiar with when it comes to egg production. These farms provide the hens with the setting to lay many eggs, consistently.
This is where the world of the chickens really differ from each other: from intensive farming methods to free-roaming birds. Pricing of eggs largely depends on the chickens’ conditions at this stage, and there are different categories based on this ‘stage’ that fill the shelf.
So, off to the supermarket, you’d say?
Well, think again, because before the eggs go to retail, they have to be packaged and distributed.
The business of egg packing
Laid eggs are collected and transported to packing stations. This step is crucial for quality and safety assurance. Eggs are graded, sorted, and packaged using advanced technology that checks for shell integrity, cleanliness, and size: each egg must meet strict standards before being packed.
Hitting the supermarket
The final stage of the egg value chain involves retail stores and, ultimately, the consumers who purchase and enjoy the eggs. Retailers offer a wide variety of options, including different sizes, grades and types of eggs, which we’ve recently written an article about. An important factor in choosing which eggs to buy is the ‘level’ of animal welfare, which differs in the eggs you buy.
We can’t tell you which eggs to buy, but by going for eggs that prioritise animal welfare and sustainable practices, at least you know you’re on the right track!
Only one thing left to do now: find a nice recipe!
