Feeding chickens Silkworm Pupae to double Egg production:

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

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.

It may not be profitable, true...but I have a feeling that if this was possible, this wouldn't be the first time we'd be hearing about it. I mean, I've been on this site almost 7 years, you've been here about 4 - think of ALL the crazy stuff we've read on here in that time.

If producing more than one egg per day was a thing, at any cost, we'd have heard about it.

 

[NatJ]

I have a feeling that if this was possible, this wouldn't be the first time we'd be hearing about it. I mean, I've been on this site almost 7 years, you've been here about 4 - think of ALL the crazy stuff we've read on here in that time.

If producing more than one egg per day was a thing, at any cost, we'd have heard about it.

I have heard of it. Not any hen that lays 2 per day for months on end, but certainly ones that do it occasionally.

For example, this thread started back in 2011 but people have added more examples over the years:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-chickens-ever-lay-two-eggs-per-day.545533/

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I have heard of it. Not any hen that lays 2 per day for months on end, but certainly ones that do it occasionally.

For example, this thread started back in 2011 but people have added more examples over the years:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-chickens-ever-lay-two-eggs-per-day.545533/

Interesting thread. Makes me realize just how long it's been since I had a small enough number of chickens to be able to track exactly who was laying what, where, and when.

Sounds like it's more of a "one stuck in the chamber" thing, less a regular occurrence that can be controlled, and certainly not with the feeding of baby silkworms.

 

[BReeder!]

I have had two eggs in the same day from the same hen. That much does happen. How? I an not sure. Wild animals are sometimes triggered to breed by increased food. I imagine its possible that unlimited access to a natural prey could induce a hormknal change that could lead to increased egg production. I have not tried though and I am not educated enough on the topics involved to give advice.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I have had two eggs in the same day from the same hen. That much does happen. How? I an not sure. Wild animals are sometimes triggered to breed by increased food. I imagine its possible that unlimited access to a natural prey could induce a hormknal change that could lead to increased egg production. I have not tried though and I am not educated enough on the topics involved to give advice.

Do you happen to remember (or even be able to tell based on your flock) if you got an egg from that chicken the day before and/or after?

I'm wondering if it's a "you get two eggs every 48 hours, they're just within the same 24 hours" thing or something different.

 

[BReeder!]

Do you happen to remember (or even be able to tell based on your flock) if you got an egg from that chicken the day before and/or after?

I'm wondering if it's a "you get two eggs every 48 hours, they're just within the same 24 hours" thing or something different.

Not sure. I do know somebody who has a leghorn lay everyday for over a year, and it laid two eggs in a day sometimes. That was definitely not a one in the chamber from yesterday scenario.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Not sure. I do know somebody who has a leghorn lay everyday for over a year, and it laid two eggs in a day sometimes. That was definitely not a one in the chamber from yesterday scenario.

I have about 10 leghorns in my flock. If there was a bird to lay more than one in a day, it'd be them. They're a very small breed, but super productive. I never bothered counting my eggs or who's laying what....always been bad at that, so maybe I'm getting more white eggs than I have white egg layers and not even realizing it.

Leghorns are so productive....have been laying all winter...that I am actually fearful that when their prime egg laying days are over, they won't have the long, slow decline in production that most hens exhibit.

I'm afraid they'll just lay their final egg and then evaporate!

 

[Feathers of Eden]

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!

When you said their" little bodies '' I just assumed you got to have Leghorns , am i ass u ming ?

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.

Exactly.
In my original post I mentioned the chicken had unlimited access to silkworm byproducts for the term of silk production which means by today standards and prices does not seem commercially viable if it is even possible.

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.

I am talking about a village in Iran with houses close to each other where every house had a flock of 5 to 10 hens and a rooster . I am talking about an era that poverty was norm in rural areas( before the oil change their lives for bettter) so every egg was counted and consumed immediately so if they had even one more egg per day it was noticed . This production boost was a yearly occurrence in the village as was the silk production and it involved multiple families almost 1/3 of the village.
So about double egg production I am sure but What I am not sure is the level of exaggerations since to be honest middle eastern tend to exaggerate to impress .

I have had two eggs in the same day from the same hen. That much does happen. How? I an not sure. Wild animals are sometimes triggered to breed by increased food. I imagine its possible that unlimited access to a natural prey could induce a hormknal change that could lead to increased egg production. I have not tried though and I am not educated enough on the topics involved to give advice.

Thank you.
That is exactly what I am trying to find .
Is there a possible hormonal change or trigger that extra load of rich protein and rich fat diet may induce to push the chickens to overdrive and shifting to fifth gear that we did not know they have?

Is it something specially special about silkworm?

I know it has been observed that the wild birds produce more eggs and bigger eggs in years when their laying cycle is at the time when Cicadas come out in millions and the birds gorge themselves for days on an unlimited source of rich Cicadas bodies.

 

[aart]

What I am not sure is the level of exaggerations since to be honest middle eastern tend to exaggerate to impress

That happens everywhere

 

[BReeder!]

When you said their" little bodies '' I just assumed you got to have Leghorns , am i ass u ming ?

Exactly.
In my original post I mentioned the chicken had unlimited access to silkworm byproducts for the term of silk production which means by today standards and prices does not seem commercially viable if it is even possible.


I am talking about a village in Iran with houses close to each other where every house had a flock of 5 to 10 hens and a rooster . I am talking about an era that poverty was norm in rural areas( before the oil change their lives for bettter) so every egg was counted and consumed immediately so if they had even one more egg per day it was noticed . This production boost was a yearly occurrence in the village as was the silk production and it involved multiple families almost 1/3 of the village.
So about double egg production I am sure but What I am not sure is the level of exaggerations since to be honest middle eastern tend to exaggerate to impress .

Thank you.
That is exactly what I am trying to find .
Is there a possible hormonal change or trigger that extra load of rich protein and rich fat diet may induce to push the chickens to overdrive and shifting to fifth gear that we did not know they have?

Is it something specially special about silkworm?

I know it has been observed that the wild birds produce more eggs and bigger eggs in years when their laying cycle is at the time when Cicadas come out in millions and the birds gorge themselves for days on an unlimited source of rich Cicadas bodies.

Cicadas would be the best "unlimited" resource to use if the time and location the time is right. This year is a big one for some areas. I believe it's a few more years for me though.