Nope, no link that I know of. Typing is probably the fastest since I don't have the scanner set up to the computer yet (and don't know how). Here goes....good thing I took keyboarding
... (and the typos, if any are mine
) Again this is from
Genetics of the Fowl: The Classic Guide to Poultry Breeding and Chicken Genetics (1949) by F. B. Hutt pp. 370-371
"
Measures. Egg shape is usually measured by the index, breadth/length X 100. The narrower the egg, the lower the index. . . While this index is convenient, it does not measure the differing degrees of pointedness,
i.e., such differences as that between eggs of a hen and a guillemot or of a robin and a killdeer. Axelsson recorded these by comparison with a series of 10 eggs showing the different gradatiuons of pointedness, and Hutt (1938) did so by measuring the diameters at a fixed point (13mm.) from each end. This was done by fitting the ends into holes of known diatmeter in a thin brass plate fixed 13 mm. above a base plate.
Variability. Pearl and Surface (1914) and Asmundson (1931) agree that shape of the egg is more variable than either length or breadth but less so than weight. Among 85 pullets for which all eggs were measured for over 5 months, marble (1943) found that some females were much more variable in the shape of their eggs than others and that the coefficients of variability ranged from 1.97 to 5.46 per cent, with a mean of 3.33 for all the birds. He saw no evidence of any seasonal change in the shape of eggs but proved clearly that the first egg of a cycle is slightly longer or narrower than succeeding eggs in the same cycle. Similarly, the first egg laid after a pause of 7 days or more is longer or narrower than the last one preceding it. These facts are especially interesting because, as we have seen earlier, that first eggs of a cycle are larger than average, while the first eggs after a pause of are smaller than average. Since both classes are changed in shape, being either elongated or narrowed down or both, the independence of forces influencing shape from those influencing size is demonstrated.
Genetic Influence. Differences in the shape of eggs are hereditary, but the nummber of genes concerned is unknown. In two generations of selection Marble established two strains of Barred Plymouth Rocks, one producing rather long eggs with indices a little over 69, and the other laying rounder eggs with indices about 76 (Fig.92) [Sorry I can't type the graph in here:/] When these were crossed, the F1 generation produced eggs intermediate in shape between the parental types. Backcrossing to the "long" line yielded bireds laying eggs with a mean index of 71.1 , and backcrossing to the "round" line pproduced pullets with a mean index of 75.9. Clearly, multiple factors are aresponsible for genetic variations in egg shape.
Axelsson's extensive data showed highly significant differences between breeds in egg shape, the mean indices being 71.8, 73.1, and 74.0 for White Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, adn Barnvelders, respectively. However, remembering that in eggs of Barred Plymouth Rocks Pearl and Surface found an index of 74.5 and Marble one of 71.9, the question arises, as in most attemmtps to compare breeds, whether the differences observed by Axelsson were characteristic of breeds or of the particular flocks from which he drew his samples. Crosses of his breeds yielded results similar to those of Marble.
It must not be supposed, however, that the genotype is the only source of differences in egg shape. Sometimes the egss laid by one hen differ much more among themselves than those of the two lines bred by marble. Atwood (1922) found that, over a 3-month period, one such hen laid 26 eggs with shape indices from 60 to 68 and 16 with indices from 71 to 77. This bimodal distribution led him to believe that the hen had two functional oviducts, but Professor Atwood later advised the author that tat autopsy only one was found."
Now, is there a breed standard of egg shape for Buckeyes? Is there a lot of anecdotal evidence that Buckeyes tend to lay more narrow eggs than other breeds? Or, rather, do specific lines have increased tendency to lay narrow eggs? I had a pretty good hatch from my shipped and narrow eggs, so maybe hatchability is not adversely affected. Perhaps our resident Buckeye experts have some insight. I hope this was informative and not off topic. (Edited to add the measurement info.)
