3 ms·

The article you're commenting on states that 115 million egg-laying hens were culled, not 30 million.

pests 2y ago
I admit I have not read the article yet but I have done independent research into these stats previously a few weeks ago. I found the 30m quoted number is the monthly cull amount. I have seen many references to the 115m or similar numbers but have no idea over what time period. I had my own ~120m number come up from my calculations: The industry claims it takes 4-6 months to clean, disinfect, hatch and re-grow, and get the chickens to egg-laying age. If you take the ~30m and ~4-6m period, you end up around ~120-180m "missing" egg-laying chickens in the flock at any time assuming this replacement is taking place at expected levels.
- Jtsummers 2y ago
  The article's 115 million is over 3 years. Your 30 million monthly represents one sampling period within that same 3 year period.
  - pests 2y ago
    I have since read the article and you are correct, thank you.
  - genewitch 2y ago
    Us cull numbers in 2024 were between 130mm and 180mm depending on who is saying the numbers. But I heard our flock numbers in that period were 10 times that. So I'm not sure what to think. I do know it was easy to get chicks this year, so that confused me even more. Perhaps the lack of grocery eggs was because they were incubated instead? I don't know.
    - SoftTalker 2y ago
      > Perhaps the lack of grocery eggs was because they were incubated instead? Grocery eggs aren't even fertilized.
      - ryao 2y ago
        Some are: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63842548/what-are-fertile-eggs-trader-joes/ https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63842548/what-are-fertile-... You will find a number of people who have claimed to have hatched a number of types of birds from store eggs, including chickens.
        soulofmischief 2y ago
        I didn't hatch a live bird, but one time I broke a store egg over a meal in the pan and it was filled with blood, a fetus and a couple tiny feathers
        ryao 2y ago
        We had a similar experience at my house one time, except it was in a bowl and all we saw was blood in the yoke. It had not been quite as developed as the one in your egg.
        SoftTalker 2y ago
        Those are supposed to be pulled before they make it out of the packaging plant. They shine a light through the egg and detect if there is an embryo inside. The process is called "candling." Of course it is imperfect especially if the egg is very recently fertilized. I've gotten one or two with a red spot in the yolk over the years, but nothing close to a developed chick.
      - genewitch 2y ago
        where do chickens come from? eggs! If one needs more chickens, one could let the eggs be fertilized and then incubate those eggs. all you need is a rooster in good health. Eggs that are incubated in this way won't be in the grocery store in cartons, because they will be chickens instead.

I admit I have not read the article yet but I have done independent research into these stats previously a few weeks ago. I found the 30m quoted number is the monthly cull amount. I have seen many references to the 115m or similar numbers but have no idea over what time period. I had my own ~120m number come up from my calculations: The industry claims it takes 4-6 months to clean, disinfect, hatch and re-grow, and get the chickens to egg-laying age. If you take the ~30m and ~4-6m period, you end up around ~120-180m "missing" egg-laying chickens in the flock at any time assuming this replacement is taking place at expected levels.

Jtsummers 2y ago
The article's 115 million is over 3 years. Your 30 million monthly represents one sampling period within that same 3 year period.
- pests 2y ago
  I have since read the article and you are correct, thank you.
- genewitch 2y ago
  Us cull numbers in 2024 were between 130mm and 180mm depending on who is saying the numbers. But I heard our flock numbers in that period were 10 times that. So I'm not sure what to think. I do know it was easy to get chicks this year, so that confused me even more. Perhaps the lack of grocery eggs was because they were incubated instead? I don't know.
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    > Perhaps the lack of grocery eggs was because they were incubated instead? Grocery eggs aren't even fertilized.
    - ryao 2y ago
      Some are: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63842548/what-are-fertile-eggs-trader-joes/ https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63842548/what-are-fertile-... You will find a number of people who have claimed to have hatched a number of types of birds from store eggs, including chickens.
      - soulofmischief 2y ago
        I didn't hatch a live bird, but one time I broke a store egg over a meal in the pan and it was filled with blood, a fetus and a couple tiny feathers
        ryao 2y ago
        We had a similar experience at my house one time, except it was in a bowl and all we saw was blood in the yoke. It had not been quite as developed as the one in your egg.
        SoftTalker 2y ago
        Those are supposed to be pulled before they make it out of the packaging plant. They shine a light through the egg and detect if there is an embryo inside. The process is called "candling." Of course it is imperfect especially if the egg is very recently fertilized. I've gotten one or two with a red spot in the yolk over the years, but nothing close to a developed chick.
    - genewitch 2y ago
      where do chickens come from? eggs! If one needs more chickens, one could let the eggs be fertilized and then incubate those eggs. all you need is a rooster in good health. Eggs that are incubated in this way won't be in the grocery store in cartons, because they will be chickens instead.