Flat illustration in indigo, sand and terracotta: a single brown egg stands upright on a table casting a question-mark-shaped shadow, a dark speckled hen with a red comb looks on from the left, and a stack of three open books sits on the right beside a fork.

Eat an egg- you're NOT killing a baby chicken!

Aug 10, 2013 · about 2 minute read

Written on August 10, 2013 for my Tumblr and republished on Medium on March 12, 2017, where it has gathered 178 claps and 4 responses as of September 2026. Ported here as written.

For almost 18 years, I have never known what an egg tastes like (in any form) but did have the desire to eat one raw just to challenge myself. This desire died within moments with my conscious not wanting to kill a baby chicken (awww) just to satisfy my ego.

But today was different. I was a bit more curious and wanted to challenge my believes with the actual facts and truths that dominated the internet. Hence the quest for truth began with "Are eggs Vegetarian?". Technically, yes, eggs are vegetarian, since they are not animal flesh. But this is debatable.

But what I learnt thereafter was interesting. Laying eggs to a chicken is similar to the menstrual cycle for a women. Hens lay eggs regardless of a Rooster being around her. This means that hens do not need to be pregnant to lay eggs. Every chicken lays a certain number of eggs (varies with breed) each week and peaks for the first 2-3 years after which it slowly drops off but still continues until 5 years which is its life expectancy (under ideal conditions).

So this means that if a rooster does not fertilize the eggs, this will not lead to baby chicken and hence the eggs are infertile. The infertile eggs at no point in time will hatch. How then would I be taking a life of a baby chicken by eating an infertile egg?? It is also found that fertile and infertile eggs have almost the same nutritional value. (huh!)

It is embarrassing to admit that I didn't know of this (fact) until now. It being hidden and buried by the religious and traditional value of an Hindu family without much scientific justification. I now wonder what other ways of life have been keep away from me on the basis of religion. I demand a more scientific approach to life.

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