# Larger Egg Layers



## Foxburrow (Apr 20, 2013)

We are looking to buy some larger brown egg layers

We neeed to know, please, which ones lay the biggest eggs, Brown Eggs.

Please reply based upon personal knowledge, and not hear say...

Blesings to all


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## Pinkter (Aug 19, 2012)

My black sex-link, Pearl, lays some so large the carton will hardly go over them. Now not every egg is that big, but they all are generally large.


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## ReTIRED (Mar 28, 2013)

My Buff Orpingtons have consistently laid LARGE eggs....sometimes as large as Duck Eggs.
-ReTIRED-


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

Foxburrow said:


> We are looking to buy some larger brown egg layers
> 
> We neeed to know, please, which ones lay the biggest eggs, Brown Eggs.
> 
> ...


I will agree with Pinkster....I've raised a number of "Sex-Links" and both the Red & Black sex-links will lay the MOST and the LARGEST brown eggs when properly fed!!! My Buckeyes are currently laying eggs that are consistently over 70 grams....that is "Extra Large" by the method of measuring eggs here in the USA. Keep in mind ALL the interweb experts say the Buckeye lays a "Medium to Large" size egg (50-57g). A lot of this has to do with selection, just as the "volume" of egg laying is also based on selection but "hybrid vigor" plays a major role in the sex-link fowl when it comes to egg size and yield.


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

Well, I am not an expert, but I can quote my friend Don Schrider, who says "Overly large eggs result in chicks that have faults such as extruded yolks and other incubator-related weaknesses and hatchability problems. Placing too much emphasis on large egg size can result in poor hatchability for your flock."

So, while it's great to have large eggs, if you're working with birds with an eye to breeding them for long-term success, you don't want to increase egg size too much. In my experience, the largest eggs my hens lay sometimes aren't even fertile. I find the greatest fertility are within the eggs from my one to two year-old hens, who lay a nice large (but not too large) egg. I prefer not to use pullet eggs, as there are problems associated with those as well. 

Of course, if you're just talking eating eggs, this all becomes a moot point. My favorite brown egg laying sex link is the Golden Comet from Mt. Healthy Hatchery in OH. We live close enough to drive up and pick them up (although sometimes we have them shipped.) We've bought those for our 4-H projects for many years (I am a certified 4-H Livestock leader) and always had great success with them.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

My largest brown egg layer is my Red sex link, close second is my Barred Rock.


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Pathfindersfarm said:


> Well, I am not an expert, but I can quote my friend Don Schrider, who says "Overly large eggs result in chicks that have faults such as extruded yolks and other incubator-related weaknesses and hatchability problems. Placing too much emphasis on large egg size can result in poor hatchability for your flock."


I've never heard that before ... but I'm just a homesteader that has been raising chickens for ... Oh, about 30 years.

But I've never done a study. Have eggs want chicks wait for broody hen or put them in the incubator. (No matter the size.)


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

All my girls lay large brown eggs but they're not as consistently large as the Rhode Island Red eggs that came from the local egg farm. Those were some big eggs! Most were double yolkers, I even would come by triple yolkers from time to time... although this made baking with them exceedingly difficult. Also I don't know if they were truely Rhode Island Reds or "production reds" as I don't know where they got their chicks...


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## Pathfindersfarm (Sep 6, 2012)

Sundancers said:


> I've never heard that before ... but I'm just a homesteader that has been raising chickens for ... Oh, about 30 years.
> 
> But I've never done a study. Have eggs want chicks wait for broody hen or put them in the incubator. (No matter the size.)


It comes from a study and assessment form the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy did several years ago. You can find the larger article it comes from here: http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-3.pdf

This is Chapter Three, and the page it is on is Page 19. The ALBC has some awesome guides for culling and flock assessment. Let me know if you'd like me to post some more links.


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Pathfindersfarm said:


> It comes from a study and assessment form the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy did several years ago. You can find the larger article it comes from here: http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-3.pdf
> 
> This is Chapter Three, and the page it is on is Page 19. The ALBC has some awesome guides for culling and flock assessment. Let me know if you'd like me to post some more links.


Thanks ... but no need.

At one time I thought very highly of ALBC but that no longer hold true.


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