[0:00]Hens don't have to mate to lay eggs. And as long as there's no rooster in the vicinity, the eggs will remain unfertilized and edible. The color of the shell is determined by the breed of hen, but there's no difference when it comes to shell color, white or brown or legs are the same inside. The whole thing begins in the hen house, where female chickens start laying eggs when they're 19 weeks old. The building is well ventilated with the temperatures and humidity strictly controlled. To stimulate laying, fluorescent lighting simulates 15 hours of daylight. The hens eat a measured amount of food three times a day. Their feed is made up of various grains, mixed with soybean for protein. It's fortified with vitamins and minerals and contains calcium to strengthen the eggshells. The hens also drink water from nipple-ended tubes attached to their cages. All these carefully monitored conditions are designed to maximize the yield. The average hen lays about 300 eggs a year. The cage floor is sloped, so the eggs automatically roll onto a conveyor belt. Then it's onto a larger conveyor belt, which transports the eggs to the packing room. The hens manure drops through the bottom of their cages onto a conveyor belt below. Even so, some eggs do get dirty, so they're thoroughly cleaned and disinfected later on.
[2:00]Automated equipment transfers the eggs onto plastic flats. It places them wide end up to keep the yolks properly centered. The flats go into a cold room until the refrigerated truck ships them to the grading station, whose job is to classify the eggs by quality. The best, grade A, end up on supermarket shelves. Lesser grades go to processing plants to be turned into ingredients used in foods, pharmaceuticals, and products such as shampoos. This automated station is high-tech and high-speed, processing 144,000 eggs per hour. First, a suction machine lifts the eggs off the flats and transfers them onto a moving track leading to the cleaning station. There, a washer gently scrubs the eggs with soap and disinfectant. The water is 45 degrees Celsius. Anything hotter would cook the eggs. Then it's into a drier for 5 seconds to evaporate the moisture. The eggs then pass over a bright light, which highlights the condition of the shells. Workers do a visual inspection, removing any that are cracked.
[3:29]A grading camera above assesses the condition and quality of the shells exterior. Further down the line, other cameras will inspect the interior for blood.
[3:47]To check the strength of the eggshells, acoustic sensors tap on the eggs, detecting any brittle shells by the different sounds of the tap.
[3:59]The inspection machines mark and reject any egg that doesn't make the A grade. The approved eggs move onto electronic scales, which register their weight class, from small to large. Pressure controlled claws then transport them to the corresponding packaging line. On the way, every egg gets stamped with a lot number for quality control tracking. The packing machine stamps the egg cartons with the best before date. As in all mass produced food, there are arguments about the quality of food produced and the quality of life for the animal in question. If in doubt, the best thing is to buy free range or organic, which ultimately is better for you and the animal.
