Anatomy of a Turkey Egg
- Shaneen Smith
- Nov 1, 2021
- 3 min read
Understanding the anatomy of a turkey egg is a very helpful piece of knowledge if you are considering raising turkey. If you are not raising turkey, but have ever wondered, "can we eat turkey eggs?", YES, they are a wonderful addition for use in the kitchen.
Use turkey eggs for cooking and baking!
Turkey eggs are alot larger than chicken eggs, the shell is thicker and the nutritional value is double because the egg is double the size, however it is exactly like a chicken egg in every other sense and you can easily substitute a chicken egg with a turkey egg. If your recipe calls for medium chicken egg you could use just one XL Turkey Egg! They are richer and creamier in taste and we highly recommend using them in the kitchen. See below the comparison between the two.
Anatomy of the Turkey Egg
Chalazae
The chalaza is a structure inside bird and reptile eggs and plant ovules. It attaches or suspends the yolk or nucellus within the larger structure.
Yolk
Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo.
Blastodisc
the embryo-forming portion of an egg with discoidal cleavage usually appearing as a small disc on the upper surface of the yolk mass.
Egg White
Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within anegg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of theegg. It forms around fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks.
Air Space
An air space forms when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. The air cell usually rests between the outer and inner membranes at the egg's larger end. The air cell grows larger as an egg ages.
Cuticle
The egg cuticle is a protein layer that covers the surface of the egg and fills the pores that allow air inside for the growing chick. The cuticle prevents bacteria from entering the egg and forms its first line of defence against infection.
Inner and Outer Shell Membrane
The outer membrane sticks to the egg shell while the inner membrane sticks to the albumen. When an egg is first laid, it is warm. As it cools, the contents contract and the inner shell membrane separates from the outer shell membrane to form the air cell.
Shell
Eggshell is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals. It is a semipermeable membrane, which means that air and moisture can pass through its pores. The shell also has a thin outermost coating called the bloom or cuticle that helps keep out bacteria and dust.
A turkey egg is a similar makeup just like a chicken egg, however, they are larger, thicker and oh so delicious!
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