Yesterday afternoon I gathered eggs as usual. Our hens have not slowed down in egg production this winter. I keep an infra-red light on in their henhouses all winter for warmth. Does this affect egg production? Your guess is as good as mine.
Well, things were going along as usual, until I came upon this particular egg. This is the largest egg that I have ever found in our henhouse. I pictured it here beside our smallest egg ever.
Here it is beside the usual eggs. The white is from our fancies, and the brown is the typical size for our brown layers (by the way, the dark brown is Jumbo sized). The apple is there as a size reference.
So this huge wrinkly egg must belong to some other creature who just happened to be passing through our henhouse. Or perhaps it is the first attempt for one of my young and upcoming layers. What a way to start out! Pitty the poor gal!! It is not unusual for a new chicken to lay a few misshapen eggs as she starts out. This one, however, is most unusual!
Comments
I sure miss my fresh eggs. We've discussed getting a small flock again this spring, maybe just 6 or 12 this time. Seeing those eggs makes me miss mine!
You should take the plunge again....chickens are so much fun...and you just cannot beat the fresh eggs.
Do you have a hen that is walking funny? lol
Was it a double yolker. My chooks go in at night, and when we have to go to town we have to leave them inside. They get lots of grazing time free ranging in their huge run though.
I've been a lurker on your website for a long time and I love it. Your post reminded me of this video I saw on youtube once about a giant chicken egg. It's really quite hilarious. I found it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wubgAIiWpY&feature=player_embedded
-Sonja
I still remember collecting eggs on my maternal great-grandmother's farm in GA as a young girl. I thought it was the greatest thing. That had to "hurt' that hen to produce such a huge egg. What a fun post!
Teacup Lane (Sandy)