My First Giant Egg

[wild chick]

My Ancona Chicken - not a duck! - laid this giant egg day before yesterday. Annie is a small chicken, built like a roadrunner, but she's a prolific layer, and her eggs average 1.9 ounces. This one was 2.9 ounces - about 81 grams! It was a double yolk. Here it is shown on top of the other chicken eggs in the carton, the other white one is her normal size from the day before (She's my only white-egg layer), the small cream color one is 1.5 ounces (the average size from the Egyptian Fayoumis).

 

[Ghosty]

Nice egg! Have a pic of the hen? Ancona's look interesting.

 

[N F C]

Impressive!

 

[wild chick]

@Ghosty Yes, I just have this one, but I will have more in the future. She has laid 10 eggs straight including the giant one. I'll bet she doesn't weigh 4 lbs. She's a great free ranger, tons of personality but not a pet. I have several stories about her - one of those kinds of birds - but don't get an Ancona if you want a lap chicken! First picture was in November at about 5 months before she started laying, the next is her in the snow. That day the flock stayed in my barn almost all day, but she goes out foraging, doesn't care if anyone comes with her or not.

 

[Ghosty]

@wild chick She is a very pretty hen, and sounds like the prolific layer. Looks like she has red eyes, or is that just the lighting. I'm getting 3 Ginn Grey Toppy game chicks in a couple weeks, and they have fiery red eyes. Where did you get your Ancona from? I think I want one. Thanks for the pics!

 

[pennyJo1960]

New layers even not slipping will lay double yolk more uncommon with age
I have one Olive egger 5 now she lays a double after molting all the years

 

[wild chick]

@Ghosty - She has the red eyes, but I think they aren't as red now as when she was young. I should correct my description on that photo - she was 5 months old, not 5 months from beginning to lay. Annie is a Meyer Hatchery chick. I purchased 8 females of 8 different breeds and got exactly what I ordered, all healthy day olds that I put under a broody. I love having a variety, especially knowing who lays which eggs! Do you free range? The description of Anconas said they aren't keen for small spaces and I believe it. She is in the rafters of the coop every.single.night and I have to get her down and put her on the roost with the others after dark. She's easy to handle after dark though.

 

[Justso]

Ouch!

 

[Ghosty]

@wild chick I have 18 hens and one lame guinea. 15 Sapphire Gems, 1 light Brahma, 2 leiper games. They get along well. They all free range from 9 or 10 am on. I have a 15' x 16' coop, and plenty of roosting space. The games took to the coop better once I expanded it and gave them taller roosts. My wife will kill me if I order more chicks as I already have 7 game chicks coming. Maybe later this year, or I can sell off a few. I love the snow pic. Chickens, I swear to God, I'd never have thunk it! Well, off to look at the hatcheries, lol. Too bad Cackle doesn't have them, as I could pick up a couple at their store front.