Egg Size Question

Hey Everyone!

This is my first post here on BYC. I looked through with a search and didn't really find an answer to my question, so I figured I'd dive in and see what you knowledgeable folks have to say.

I've got a mixed backyard flock of birds who arrived on March 5th of this year. I've got 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Black Copper Maran and 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte. They are approaching 20 weeks now. Based on comb color and egg color I've been suspecting the SLW to be my first producer. I got a few nice brown small eggs a few weeks ago. Then I started getting some shell-less eggs here and there without any successful eggs (leading me to believe I still only had one chicken laying) I think the issues started because of high temperatures. I supplemented some crushed eggshell in their diet along with some cool yogurt. They are on an organic layer with free choice oysters and daily weeds thrown in. I got a couple good sized eggs - almost normal size. Now this morning I got a small egg again. Only one today so far and it is nearly the same color as the other eggs I've gotten. I have two eggs now that are just barely lighter than the first few I got. Enough back story... to the meat of my question:

Is is possible my the SLW laid a few small eggs, tossed in a few shell-less eggs, produced some bigger eggs and then is back down to smaller eggs again? I know shell shade can vary slightly, but am unsure if egg size from one chicken can vary. There is about a 1/4 inch difference in egg length. I haven't weighted them, but could if that would help with a diagnosis of what is going on.

Thanks a bunch for any info you provide. I really appreciate it.

This sounds exactly like my current situation. I'll be waiting for others inputs too!

Glad that I'm not the only one. Now we need some chicken veterans to chime in.

Where the bigger eggs by any chance double yolkers? My girls are almost 24 weeks. I had one start laying at 18 weeks. I am now getting 3-5 eggs a day. (I have 11 pullets and 1 roo.) I asked a similar question and was told that their egg size will not go up and down like that. If you havent cracked it open yet I'd bet you have a double yolker. Its common for newly laying pullets to lay them while their hormones are balancing out. I have 5 hens laying (that im aware of) and i get at least one every few days. I got two yesterday. I got my first aoft shell tonight. Which I am now looking into if its normal or if i need to add more calcium.

kylen2007 said:

Where the bigger eggs by any chance double yolkers? My girls are almost 24 weeks. I had one start laying at 18 weeks. I am now getting 3-5 eggs a day. (I have 11 pullets and 1 roo.) I asked a similar question and was told that their egg size will not go up and down like that. If you havent cracked it open yet I'd bet you have a double yolker. Its common for newly laying pullets to lay them while their hormones are balancing out. I have 5 hens laying (that im aware of) and i get at least one every few days. I got two yesterday.

I got my first aoft shell tonight. Which I am now looking into if its normal or if i need to add more calcium.

Click to expand...

I don't think it was a double yolk... but I think my husband ate it. I'm pretty sure he would have said something. I'm assuming that egg size wouldn't change either. Just hoping because I'll be real sad if my EE is laying light brown eggs. I know it is a possiblity, but of course one I had hoped to avoid.

If I have two laying, they are pretty inconsistent because I only got one egg yesterday and one egg the day before and then none the day before that and none yet today... Time will tell I suppose! Thanks for the insight!

BackyardYooper said:

I don't think it was a double yolk... but I think my husband ate it. I'm pretty sure he would have said something. I'm assuming that egg size wouldn't change either. Just hoping because I'll be real sad if my EE is laying light brown eggs. I know it is a possiblity, but of course one I had hoped to avoid.

If I have two laying, they are pretty inconsistent because I only got one egg yesterday and one egg the day before and then none the day before that and none yet today... Time will tell I suppose! Thanks for the insight!

Click to expand...

My first hen was the only one laying for 2 weeks before the others started. In 2 weeks i got 4 eggs. The second was 5 days after the 1st then it was another 4 days before i got another. Then 2 days then i got them back to back. When they first start its normal. Then the longer they lay your eggs will gradually get bigger and more consistant. Also a double yolker is clear bigger. All of mine are twice the size of their normal eggs.
Here is a picture of them. The left two are normal the far right is a double yolker. They are obviously larger. I asked the same questions when i first got one. And when i cracked it two yolks lol.

It can take up to a months or so for things to smooth out to a 'normal'.
Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.
Pullet egg size can vary somewhat, but usually the large ones are double yolkers.

Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.

Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.

2 bony points on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.


Off Topic: Are you from the U.P.?

aart said:

It can take up to a months or so for things to smooth out to a 'normal'.
Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.
Pullet egg size can vary somewhat, but usually the large ones are double yolkers.

Signs of onset of lay---I've found the pelvic points to be the most accurate.

Squatting:
If you touch their back they will hunker down on the ground, then shake their tail feathers when they get back up.
This shows they are sexually mature and egg laying is close at hand.

Combs and Wattles:
Plump, shiny red - usually means laying.
Shriveled, dryish looking and pale - usually means not laying.

2 bony points on either side of vent:
Less than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means not laying.
More than 2 fingertip widths apart usually means laying.


Off Topic: Are you from the U.P.?

Click to expand...

My SLW is so skiddish that I wouldn't know if she would squat because she won't let me pet her. My EE that has been in the nesting box is squatting for sure. My Black Copper Maran is squatting too, though I haven't noticed her in the nesting boxes at all, and would be very surprised if she was laying at all because the eggs I'm getting are very light. Almost pink.

The more I think on it, the more I'm thinking that my EE is the one laying. She was in the laying box this morning and there was an egg there after she left. It was a smaller "pullet" sized egg with a good shell. I'll make some eggs tomorrow and see if the bigger one was a double yolk. Basically I was going off egg color in my assumption of the eggs coming from the SLW, but I just might have a pink/brown laying EE on my hands.

Yeah, I'm in the UP. Love it up here. We've finally got our summer weather, which I think was the problem with the shell-less eggs. Hit 90 a couple days in a row and my ladies weren't eating as much due to the heat.

Might want to check out the Michigan chat thread...there's a few from the UP there.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697050/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome/33910#post_15650702

kylen2007 said:

Where the bigger eggs by any chance double yolkers? My girls are almost 24 weeks. I had one start laying at 18 weeks. I am now getting 3-5 eggs a day. (I have 11 pullets and 1 roo.) I asked a similar question and was told that their egg size will not go up and down like that. If you havent cracked it open yet I'd bet you have a double yolker. Its common for newly laying pullets to lay them while their hormones are balancing out. I have 5 hens laying (that im aware of) and i get at least one every few days. I got two yesterday.

I got my first aoft shell tonight. Which I am now looking into if its normal or if i need to add more calcium.

Click to expand...

Mystery solved... the two larger eggs were double yolkers. I had thought my husband had already eaten them. Cracked a few open for breakfast today and got four yolks out of two eggs. It is confirmed that these eggs are being laid by my EE. Not sure if she is the first layer from the start, but she is very consistent in her timing and is producing an egg every day. She is also very cute, she takes our dummy eggs and herds them all into one nesting box, lays her egg and then sits on them for a bit, maybe an hour or two, then leaves with her new egg and the two other "eggs" all cuddled together.

Can't wait until the others start laying! My Black Copper Maran is squatting now, so shouldn't be too long!

Thanks for all the insight!