Does Egg Size affect Size of full grown Chicken?

[Roosters Crow Farm]

Hi. I understand that large breed chickens lay large eggs and hatch chicks that grow up to be large and similarly, small breeds lay small eggs that grow up to be small chickens. My question about egg size affecting the size of the eventual adult bird is when 2 breeds have come together to make chicks. if a large rooster mates with a small hen, the egg will be small. Will the slower growth while in the egg result in a smaller adult? Likewise, if a small rooster mates with a large hen, the egg will be large. In the 2nd scenario, will the larger egg (allowing the chick an earlier start at growth) result in a larger adult?

I have Seramas and bantam Cochins (and a rooster of each). The roosters and hens were not discriminating about size! Will the eggs from the Cochin hens (fertilized by the Serama rooster become larger adults than the eggs from the Serama hens (fertilized by the Cochins)?

 

[Debbie292d]

The hen's genes are what create the egg, and the rooster is only fertilizing it, so the egg size is the same. She wouldn't just start laying larger eggs because a larger rooster bred her.

Their offspring could eventually lay larger eggs than the hen lays, though.

 

[Roosters Crow Farm]

Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

if a large rooster mates with a small hen, the egg will be small. Will the slower growth while in the egg result in a smaller adult? Likewise, if a small rooster mates with a large hen, the egg will be large. In the 2nd scenario, will the larger egg (allowing the chick an earlier start at growth) result in a larger adult?

The egg size will control the size of the chick when it hatches. There isn't enough room in a small egg to produce a large chick.

Genetics control how big the chick will be as an adult. Typically that means that the size of the adult will be somewhere in between the size of both parents, regardless of which laid the egg. Disclaimer: Genetics can get complicated, sometimes you get exceptions. Not all of the chicks will probably grow to the same size, but that's because of genetics, not egg size.

I have Seramas and bantam Cochins (and a rooster of each). The roosters and hens were not discriminating about size! Will the eggs from the Cochin hens (fertilized by the Serama rooster become larger adults than the eggs from the Serama hens (fertilized by the Cochins)?

It should not matter which parent is which breed.

 

[Kbug125]

Hi. I understand that large breed chickens lay large eggs and hatch chicks that grow up to be large and similarly, small breeds lay small eggs that grow up to be small chickens. My question about egg size affecting the size of the eventual adult bird is when 2 breeds have come together to make chicks. if a large rooster mates with a small hen, the egg will be small. Will the slower growth while in the egg result in a smaller adult? Likewise, if a small rooster mates with a large hen, the egg will be large. In the 2nd scenario, will the larger egg (allowing the chick an earlier start at growth) result in a larger adult?

I have Seramas and bantam Cochins (and a rooster of each). The roosters and hens were not discriminating about size! Will the eggs from the Cochin hens (fertilized by the Serama rooster become larger adults than the eggs from the Serama hens (fertilized by the Cochins)?

The size of an egg doesn't directly determine the adult size of a chicken; it mainly influences early chick development. Larger eggs provide more yolk and energy, which may result in quicker early growth, but adult size is determined by genetics. When a large rooster mates with a small hen, or vice versa, the chicks will inherit a mix of traits from both parents, leading to intermediate-sized adults. In the case of crossing Serama and Bantam Cochin chickens, the resulting chicks will reflect a combination of both breeds' genetics, with Seramas being smaller and Cochins slightly larger. Thus, egg size doesn't guarantee a larger or smaller adult; genetic factors are the primary determinant.