How Can I Increase Eggs and Size?

[DiannaB]

As I posted earlier, I am new to chicken life. We moved in to our new property 4 weeks ago, 8 hens came with it. Originally it was 9 but one passed away right after we moved in. The previous owner told me that she was about 9 years old. Which I question since they only lived here about 5 years and she got them when they moved here. That being said, she couldn't even tell me the name of the breeds of them. Some one I know had to move and she gave me her two red hens as well. We separated them, but they were still able to see each other, and have since combined them with the original flock and that went very well. Those two hens still won't roost with the others, but they don't fight and get along well with the original 8. Best I can figure, I have 5 Buffs, 4 Reds and 1 Brahma (I think). They are quite docile and really sweet to be around. I am averaging between 4 and 6 eggs per day.

My son moved in to their new property this past weekend. Only about a 1/4 of a mile down the road from us. He has a smaller coop, 7 hens and 1 rooster. His hens look kind of like my Buffs, but maybe a light brown, some Reds and then one white with a little bit of dark in her, have no idea what she is. Size wise the reds are the same as mine, the buff/brown are maybe a little bit larger. However, they are getting 5-7 eggs a day from their hens and the eggs are much larger.

That being said, is there a way to increase the size of the eggs and the amount laid each day. I feed them crumbles as they won't eat the pellets. I also give them a little scratch and crushed oyster shells and every few days I treat them to veggie scraps. I don't put out a lot of feed because the squirrels are eating more than the hens, but they are never with out feed. Thank you to anyone that can offer up some advice.

 

[The Happster]

The only way is to ensure they are healthy and getting the nutrients they need.

If you want more eggs or bigger eggs, you could invest in some more chickens.
Heavier breeds lay bigger eggs.
Stress and illness can interrupt egg production.
His hens may be a better laying breed.

 

[neo71665]

Temp also can interrupt eggs. The slack up in the hot and cold months.

 

[aart]

That being said, is there a way to increase the size of the eggs and the amount laid each day.

Not really....as @Blooie sez: "They're not pez dispensers"

Eggs are a seasonal food, and it's coming on fall, the hens will stop laying to molt.

Pullets(females under one year-then called hens) will lay smaller eggs at first,
it can take days, week, or months for them to get up to a 'large' size.

Heavier breeds lay bigger eggs.

Larger breeds do not necessarily lay larger eggs.
Some of my slimmest hens have laid the largest eggs.
My brahmas laid medium eggs.

 

[The Happster]

I realize that.
But as a general rule, if you get a small bantam, she's not going to lay bigger eggs than your floofy Jersey Giant.

Rather than trying to get current birds to lay bigger eggs, getting another breed is more likely to be effective.

 

[BGcoop]

Another reason you may be getting less eggs is the age of the chickens, older chickens tend to slow down a bit on laying. 4-6 eggs per day from 10 hens really isn’t that bad. I read somewhere that you need 18 hens to average a dozen eggs per day.

 

[cmom]

Some of my Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns lay nice big eggs (Xlarge-Jumbo) and the rest lay large eggs. I do weigh all of my eggs. The smaller eggs we eat and there are a few customers that like the smaller eggs.

 

[Gray Farms]

Size of the egg is partially influenced by breed. And mostly determined by the individual hen herself. Nothing can be done to increase the size of her eggs. She is going to lay the size her body allows her to lay.

Rate of lay however has many influences. Such as age, body condition, amount of feed, nutrition of the feed, amount of daylight, living conditions, molting, temperature. Also stress is a huge factor. Stress from other hens, from moving to a new coop, from adding new flock mates, from loosing a flock mate, from crowding, from the rooster, from a predator, from a bad storm, from switching feed, the list goes on.

If your hens are provided with a safe, clean, secure, and spacious environment with adequate clean water and nutritious feed. They will lay the size and quantity of eggs their bodies are designed to produce.

 

[cmom]

Sex-Links are excellent layers of large eggs but if you are going to breed them, they don't usually breed true.