Ep 25. Egg Farm

Mike Rowe, the host of Dirty Jobs, visits an egg farm in season 4 episode 25 called Egg Farm. The show begins with Rowe arriving at the farm and meeting the owners. He is shown a massive warehouse filled with thousands of chickens that produce the eggs sold at the farm. Rowe is quick to point out the strong smell in the warehouse and the hens packed tightly in cages that are only inches apart. Despite the odor and the cramped conditions, the producers stress that their hens are well cared for and given a healthy diet.

Rowe spends the day learning about the different jobs required to run a successful egg farm. His first task is to collect eggs from the chicken’s cages. Although the task seems simple enough, Rowe quickly discovers that some hens are very protective of their eggs. He has to be quick and agile when extracting the eggs from the cages, as some hens will try to peck him or even try to fly up at him.

Next, the hosts show Rowe how to clean the eggs. The process involves water and a chemical solution that gets rid of any bacteria on the shell. The eggs are then placed in a large machine that dries them off. The eggs are then sorted by size and packaged into their respective cartons. Rowe is shocked at the speed of the egg-sorting machine. He comments that the machine can sort eggs faster than he can think.

Later on, the producers give Rowe a demonstration on how to candle eggs. Candling is a process that allows farmers to check if an egg has been fertilized. A candle is held up to the egg, and the farmer can see if there is a developing embryo inside. If the egg has been fertilized, it is removed from the production line and placed in an incubator. If not, it continues to be processed.

As Rowe continues his tour of the egg farm, he is shown the hatchery. The young chickens are born here, and their incubators are checked and adjusted carefully to ensure proper hatching and their overall growth. The caretakers at the hatchery also feed the newly-born chicks, give them water, and help them grow larger. Rowe is fascinated by how the hatchery staff takes care of the little, fluffy birds, no different than newborn babies.

Finally, the farmers take Rowe outside to show him the compost pile that they feed their chickens. The pile is made up of food scraps and goes through a complicated process before it is fed to the chickens. The compost pile is turned daily with a large machine, and it takes several days for the waste to become fertile ground. The chickens are then placed in the compost pile to eat, which helps them produce good quality eggs.

In conclusion, Dirty Jobs: Egg Farm is an exciting and informative episode that showcases what it takes to run a successful egg farm. The episode highlights the various jobs required to produce high-quality eggs, from collecting and cleaning to candling and hatching. Rowe is also shown how the chickens are fed and given a healthy diet to produce the best eggs possible. The episode ends with Rowe saying how he never thought much about the food he eats, but after visiting the egg farm, he gained a new appreciation for farmers and the hard work they do.