Egg question

[Grand-hen-ma]

Saturday one of my girls gifted me with the biggest egg I have ever seen! I'm not talking about a jumbo either. This egg is huge next to the jumbo ones! I know it had to hurt coming out!

My question, is this normal? I mean this has never happened before. The only thing new any of them have had was a few handfuls of crushed shell a week ago. I attached a picture. The egg on the right is a jumbo.



Thanks for any help.
Colette

 

[ranchhand]

That's a big one all right!

It's not the norm, but it's not really rare either. I'm betting it's a double yolker, maybe even a triple!

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's probably a double yolker. It is normal for some to lay them. It happens when their internal system messed up and starts two yolks at the same time. When they do that, they often skip laying the next day. Some hens will do it on a fairly regular basis and will often lay a double yolker. Some do it only rarely, if ever. New pullets just starting to lay will sometimes do that until their internal egglaying factory system works out the kinks

Many people think a double yolker is a great thing. I don't like them. They do not fit in an egg carton, they mess up measurements for recipes, they do not hatch well (usually not at all), they often cause them not to lay the next day, and they pose a small danger to the chicken that lays them, especially a not yet matured pullet just starting to lay. There is nothing you can do about it to stop it and they very, very seldom hurt themselves laying the double yolkers. There is nothing wrong with the egg. It will cook up fine. Just enoy the uniqueness of it.

 

[Grand-hen-ma]

Thanks all for the information.