Massive eggs are cool, but......

[ribcrusher]

Ok I am not sure what to make of this. This is my first time raising chickens. I have 5 ISA browns that are less than a year old. The one will be laying fine for a month or so and then she stops for a day or two, then out pops this! A 197.4 g or 6.961oz egg. And this is not the first time she had done this to me. She is not that big of a chicken and I have a hard time getting my mind wrapped around the idea she or any normal size chicken could pass such a thing. I do not know if it is some sort of record or not. Live in Mountain View Ca. Chickens are free range and feed a organic, soy free layer along with meal worms and cabbage as treats. Do not get me wrong, big eggs are cool, but this cannot be healthy for her and think would be better off if she just lay normal eggs all the time.

 

[newduckie]

Yikes.. you are right, that is pretty cool. that would be quite the egg sandwich..

 

[Yay Chicks!]

First,

Glad you joined us!

Secondly, wow. That is quite the egg. Are these large ones double yolkers?

There are a number of posts on the forum showing extra large eggs. They generally seem to come from newly laying birds as they are working things out.

Are the large ones usually wrinkled like this?

There is a chart somewhere of egg abnormalities and possible reasons, but I don't have the link. Perhaps someone will chime in with it.

 

[1muttsfan]

That is why I stopped keeping Isas, after about a year the egg size got so big they would no longer fit in even large egg cartons. The egg shell quality also started deteriorating as the eggs increased in size beyond extra large.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I've actually had more issues with some of the other super laying, sex links, from other hatcheries. For the most part, these are commercial birds. One strain I have is a Bovan Brown, aka cinnamon queen, golden buff, etc, as best I can determine. Scary big eggs. I agree that while some folks go gaga over giant eggs, I'm not nearly as excited.

I know this about these commercial hens sold to retails customers. You just have to watch their feed intake, a bit. I know this because I portion feed. When I do, the eggs are large, but not ridiculous. However, when I have to be gone for a day or two, I'll pre-fill some feeders and result is sure to be gigantic eggs. I realize this is hardly scientific, but it is consistently my experience. I doubt whether commercial hens like the ISA and other RSLs are fed "as much as they can eat" in the industry houses, as they are likely fed a certain kind of ration twice/three times a day. I believe they are fed a portion control. I have the official industry manual for the ISA Brown. It is very interesting reading.

PM me and I send it off to you. I cannot post it here. It is a .pdf file.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

That looks like a 'body check' egg to me. I wrote a blog post that has photos of these types of eggs and explains how eggs are normally made and why some are funky here: http://eggcartonlabels.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-hen-makes-egg-egg-oddities.html This may be a hereditary issue with this particular breed or bird and there isn't anything you can do about it except to keep an eye on her for egg-binding. Bless her little heart for passing these dinosaurs through her reproductive tract!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Ribcrusher, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get your ISA Browns?

 

[ribcrusher]

Hi Fred, the ISA Browns come from a lady that lives a bit north of SF. She buys 100 chicks and when there 8 to 10 weeks old she sales them. I got mine for $15 each. All the girls lay great, the one that lays the massive eggs has alot more white in her vs any of the others.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The reason I ask is that TownLine Hatchery is the only known retail outlet, officially, for ISA in the US. I have no way of knowing for certain. People breed generic RSLs and sell them as ISAs, that much I've noticed. When I saw you were in CA, I just wondered where in the world those ISAs came from.

 

[ribcrusher]

So I have been looks around the net and not found much of any info. Would like to know is this 197.4 g egg a US record or anything?

Thanks
Mark