Feeding chickens Silkworm Pupae to double Egg production:

[Feathers of Eden]

My mother used to tell me about the time in her childhood when some average land race hens they had( used to lay 4 eggs a week or so ) suddenly were laying more than one egg a day for a period of almost two to three weeks when they were fed Silkworm pupae and other local silk production byproducts and then back to their average egg production after the seasonal silk production was gone.
I looked at the nutrition value of fresh silkworm pupae and its byproducts. They are a rich source of protein, fat and some necessary amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids noticeably Linoleic acid and a low mineral content.
I am not sure silkworm byproducts are something special or are more nutritious than dried mealworm or black soldier fly larvae that is available around here but I think the shear volume of feeding that was happening in that two to three weeks of silk harvest was the boost that pushed ordinary hens to go to overdrive mode and some laid two eggs a day for some impressive period of time.

Now I am not here to say what I said definitely happened because I was not there to count the eggs!!! and I think this old story is somehow open to scrutiny but I am thinking this experience has been done or could be done . I mean have any of you given unlimited mealworm access to your hens for a decent period of time to see the egg production boost?
Have you heard about similar stories( or myths if you wish)?

 

[Mylied]

I'd think you'd get more nutritious eggs and happier hens but I don't think it's possible to make their reproduction process faster. I do feed mealworms but don't see a difference in egg production.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I hadn't heard that before! I am not sure I'd want my chickens laying 2x/day. I would think that'd be awfully hard on their little bodies. But those sound like good treats, for sure!

 

[Feathers of Eden]

I like to think if a hen's body produces two healthy eggs in one day and it is diet related increase, then it might be the natural reaction of chicken's body to a sharp increase of dietary fat and protein.

I like to know is it possible for a chicken to release two eggs a day in her reproductive system for a decent period of time triggered by an augmented protein and fat intake?

In real world I think the price of treats of high protein value feeds like mealworms are too high to be a viable commercial way of increasing egg production.

It is a myth that has been with me since my childhood and I thought some folks here may have had a similar experience for or against this myth.

 

[aart]

I like to know is it possible for a chicken to release two eggs a day in her reproductive system for a decent period of time triggered by an augmented protein and fat intake?

Yes, but it takes 20 hours for an egg to be shelled in the shell gland/uterus.
It's explained in this excellent video, which is worth watching regardless:

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Yeah, I vote “myth” - if chickens could produce multiple eggs in 24 you KNOW commercial producers would be doing it.

 

[NatJ]

Yeah, I vote “myth” - if chickens could produce multiple eggs in 24 you KNOW commercial producers would be doing it.

Actually, I do not know that.
If the extra eggs required more expensive food, the current system might still be the most cost-effective way to produce eggs. And of course the commercial producers are really seeking the best ratio of eggs produced to dollars spent, no matter whether it's more hens eating cheap food or less hens eating expensive food.

 

[NatJ]

My mother used to tell me about the time in her childhood when some average land race hens they had( used to lay 4 eggs a week or so ) suddenly were laying more than one egg a day for a period of almost two to three weeks when they were fed Silkworm pupae and other local silk production byproducts and then back to their average egg production after the seasonal silk production was gone.

I wonder what part of the year it was. If the days were getting longer at that time of year, the extra daylength would also trigger the hens to lay more eggs. I agree that extra food could certainly make the hens lay better, especially if the chickens were normally a bit short on food.

I do wonder how carefully they counted their chickens. Because if they had 10 chickens, and they started feeding silkworm pupa, and another 10 chickens showed up for the food and laid their eggs in the same nests.... More chickens would be an obvious explanation for getting more eggs. And then the extra chickens would probably wander away again after the food supply went back to normal. Of course, if they kept their chickens securely penned up, this would not be possible--I don't know how they raised their chickens.

 

[aart]

Actually, I do not know that.

Ehhhh.....but.....

it takes 20 hours for an egg to be shelled

 

[NatJ]

Yes, but it takes 20 hours for an egg to be shelled in the shell gland/uterus.

I don't know where in the process the variation occurs, but it is a fact that some hens lay eggs at longer intervals than others.

For example, here's a hen that must have laid 2 eggs on some days:
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/70781-most-prolific-chicken

The highest authenticated rate of egg-laying is 371 in 364 days, laid by a White Leghorn (No. 2988) in an official test conducted by Prof. Harold V. Biellier ending on 29 August 1979 at the College of Agriculture, University of Missouri, USA.

And I know I read an article about a guy who was tinkering with daylength (day + night totalling less than 24 hours), and found some hens that could lay an egg every "day" even with slightly shorter days. Unfortunately, I cannot find that article now.

But there are plenty of things that can be technically possible (like getting more than 365 eggs per hen per year) that are not cost effective. So "because the commercial folks aren't doing it" is not a good way to prove that something is impossible.