I mean eggs are eggs right, so shouldn’t they all be the same size? Well if own chickens you’ll quickly notice that there are different sizes of eggs. So, the question is how to get chickens to lay bigger eggs?
If you want to get chickens to lay bigger eggs you need to ensure that they are well-fed, comfortable and mature. The better you feed your chickens, both in quality and quantity the bigger the eggs will be. Larger more mature and more comfortable chickens will naturally produce larger eggs, speed up maturity by giving them more light.
Larger eggs can fetch much better prices and have more product than smaller eggs. So, what gives, how can we get chickens to lay bigger eggs? In the next few lines, you’ll find out how you can increase the size of your chicken eggs.
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How to get chickens to lay bigger eggs
The bigger the egg the more product we get from it. It’s no wonder why bigger eggs go for higher prices and are more desirable. Yet not all chickens produce the same size eggs. Even younger chickens produce tiny eggs. There are some simple things you can do as soon as today to improve egg size and quality of eggs.
A general rule of thumb is that bigger, mature chickens means bigger eggs. There are several variations of chickens and the bigger they get the bigger eggs they lay.
Also, it’s been seen that younger chickens lay tiny eggs but as they become mature and grow their eggs also increase in size. So, if you want bigger eggs, switching to a larger breed of chicken is one option or wait until the younger chickens mature.
Another option is to increase the size of the chickens you already have available. Remember larger chickens means larger eggs. We are what we eat and we are how much we eat.
Increasing the level of protein in chicken diets means they’ll have more raw substance to grow and to use in egg production. If we up the protein levels in their feed chances are, we can see larger eggs being laid. We can do this by giving higher grade feeds containing richer protein or mixing protein substances into their daily feed.
Some poultry farmers agree that making chickens mature quicker and grow larger by providing more hours of light will increase egg sizes. They believe that when chickens are comfortable and well provided for, they produce better results.
Giving hens more comfortable places with more hours of light throughout the day and night will increase their laying production and size of eggs. We already know that more hours of light increase the size and eating appetite of hens, so you could reason that with more light chickens will mature faster and be larger and thereby laying larger eggs.
Back yard chickens are said to produce tastier eggs that are comparably larger in size. This reason for this is because of the increase in minerals from herbs that they peck on in gardens. This means that if we add natural herbs like parsley to chicken diets as well as high-quality laying feed, we will see an increase in quality taste and size of eggs.
What’s the largest size egg a chicken can lay?
Generally, eggs are classified based on how much they weigh. Tiny eggs weigh about 1.25 oz. Small eggs weigh about 1.5 oz, medium-sized eggs weigh about 1.75 oz. You can really see and feel the size difference in large eggs that weigh about 2oz and jumbo eggs that weigh between 2.5 oz to 2.75 oz.
Do large eggs mean better quality?
When it comes to eggs size bigger eggs mean more substantial amounts of protein making it more filling and nutrient-rich. Some people have said that the larger the egg the less tasty it gets.
So, if protein quality is what you’re looking for sure bigger is better but if taste quality is what you need then smaller sizes may be what you’re looking for. Either way, larger eggs have more protein, this means they are a more nutritious and filling meal for us.
Why are my chickens laying small eggs?
The maturity, size and breed of chicken have a lot to do with the size of a chicken’s eggs. Less mature chickens naturally lay tiny eggs but as they grow, their sizes increase.
Larger chickens have more to work with when producing eggs, so you’ll see larger eggs being lain by them. Different chicken breeds are inherently bigger in size and as such hens lay much bigger eggs naturally. If your chicken is laying smaller eggs check on their diets, maturity, and breed as that may be the reason for small eggs.
How to get your chickens to lay more eggs?
Begging doesn’t work, trust me, I’ve tried it. Try this instead: if you want chickens to lay more eggs. Provide them with more high-quality laying feed fit for broiler chickens.
Improving how comfortable they are and how much they’ve got to eat also improves the quantity and quality of their egg production. Increasing their calcium and protein content through feeds and herbs are a good bet as well.
Which chickens lay the largest eggs?
Big body breed hens lay bigger eggs, so which breed of hens are they? The Mediterranean Minorca breed lays some hefty, large eggs. While the Leghorn breed produces extra-large to jumbo eggs quite frequently.
The crossbreed of Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorn breed of chickens is the Golden Comet breed which lays double yoke Jumbo eggs, the biggest often seen.
Conclusion
Larger more mature chickens tend to lay larger eggs. Large breed chickens like the Golden comet breed lay double yolk jumbo eggs. Increasing egg size requires increasing chicken size and maturity through feeding protein, herbs and providing better lighting. Whether omelette, scrambled or meal ingredient, eggs are a nutritious source of protein.
If you’re interested in chickens you may also be interested in these articles: why do chickens wag their tails, when do chickens start laying eggs after winter, why do chickens eat feathers, how to get chickens to sleep on the roost, why do chickens have wings, why do chickens cluck, click the links to read more.