People are often surprised to learn that turkey eggs are rarely found in supermarkets or on breakfast menus. The main reasons come down to biology and economics: turkeys take longer to mature, require more space and feed, and produce far fewer eggs than chickens.

According to the National Turkey Federation, turkeys generally need around seven months before they begin producing eggs, while chickens can start around five months and may lay several eggs each week. Because turkey eggs are much more expensive to produce, estimates suggest a single egg could need to sell for around $3 to be profitable, compared with much cheaper chicken eggs.

Turkey eggs are also larger and richer than chicken eggs, containing roughly twice the calories and fat and about three times the cholesterol, according to the source. Some chefs have praised their creamy yolks, but that hasn’t created enough demand to make turkey-egg farming commercially attractive.

There is also an interesting history behind their rarity. Turkey eggs were eaten as delicacies in early America, and restaurants such as New York’s Delmonico’s reportedly served them. However, industrial chicken farming eventually made chicken eggs far cheaper and more widely available. Today, turkey eggs remain uncommon, mainly appearing on specialty farms or in the kitchens of curious food enthusiasts.