Eggs
Every year, hen will lay 80% of the eggs she laid the previous year, so assuming she laid 200 eggs in her first year then the pattern would go like this:
First year: 200 eggs
Second year: 160 eggs
Third year: 128 eggs
Fourth year: 102 eggs
Fifth year: 82 eggs
Sixth year: 66 eggs
Seventh year: 52 eggs
Eigth year: 42 eggs
And so on, however many chickens, even those kept as pets will not make it past their 5th year. Most commercial producers will kill all their layers at 18 months of age because they become uneconomical to keep. They then replace the old layers with new ones and the process begins again. However, to the small hobby keeper, egg numbers will not matter as much so they may be kept for significantly longer than that. People who keep them as pets will usually keep them until they die.
Egg Colours and Other Things Affecting Quality
Shell colour is only affected by one factor: breed. Some people believe
that the shell colour is affected by how then hen is kept. The only
colouring in an egg that can be affected by environment is the yolk and
that is affected by the diet. To achieve a orange yolk, hens must be
fed either greens, maize or artificial yellow colouring. The last
option is used by battery farmers to make people believe that their
hens were kept in a nice environment (they do not have to label their
eggs as caged or battery).
If the egg shells are thin then there are two factors affecting this: diet and age. To produce a good shell the hen must consume enough calcium. She can do this two ways: oyster shell and the calcium that is added to layer feed. However, they often need both. If a hen is older then she may start producing thinner shelled eggs simply because of her age. She may also produce eggs with wrinkled shells. Occasionally a hen will lay an egg with no shell, just a membrane. This is usually a very rare occurance (I have had it happen once in two years). However, if it is regular then it may be a nutritional deficiency. For more information on feeding see the feeding page of this website.
Blood spots are occasionally found in eggs and are nothing to worry about. They occur when a small vein breaks inside the hen during production and the blood in encased in shell. It has nothing to do with a rooster being present or not and the only reason there is usually a problem is if the eater is Jewish. The reason you do not find these in store eggs is because the blood will disperse and become invisable if the egg is more than a few days old.
Pictures of different egg colours can now be found on our egg colours page.
If the egg shells are thin then there are two factors affecting this: diet and age. To produce a good shell the hen must consume enough calcium. She can do this two ways: oyster shell and the calcium that is added to layer feed. However, they often need both. If a hen is older then she may start producing thinner shelled eggs simply because of her age. She may also produce eggs with wrinkled shells. Occasionally a hen will lay an egg with no shell, just a membrane. This is usually a very rare occurance (I have had it happen once in two years). However, if it is regular then it may be a nutritional deficiency. For more information on feeding see the feeding page of this website.
Blood spots are occasionally found in eggs and are nothing to worry about. They occur when a small vein breaks inside the hen during production and the blood in encased in shell. It has nothing to do with a rooster being present or not and the only reason there is usually a problem is if the eater is Jewish. The reason you do not find these in store eggs is because the blood will disperse and become invisable if the egg is more than a few days old.
Pictures of different egg colours can now be found on our egg colours page.
Egg Showing and Faults
The egg show is a feature at almost every British (and some other countries) poultry show. They can be judged on either the external (shell) or the internal (the yolk and white). There are also classes for decorated eggs.
The shell should be uniform in colour. It should also be smooth, free from wrinkles and calcium spots (the little bits of shell that can poke up, making the shell feel rough). If there is more than one egg, then the eggs should be uniform in size and colour. All eggs should be the appropriate colour for the breed, e.g. white for Leghorns, brown for Rhode Island Red. If the eggs are meant to be mottled or speckled, then it is preferred that these are even too. The shell must be clean and stain free. You can wash the shell, but polishing or adding extra colour to the egg would result in you being reported to the PCGB.
Other things that will get you disqualified (but not reported) are double-yolked eggs, staleness, bantam eggs over 42.5g (1.5oz), a developing embryo and excessive blood or meat spots.
When judging contents, the yolk should be golden yellow, with no blood or meat spots. there should be no sign of embryo development (to prevent this, make sure that the egggs are collected twice daily). The yolk should be one uniform shade.
The white (albumen) should be clear, and the albumen should be thicker around the yolk, and thinner around the edge, with the two areas distinct. In the albumen, there are two thick cords of albumen, called chalaze. These are opposite each other and are what holds the yolk in place.
The airspace is the gap inbetween the cell membrane and the shell. It can be found at the blunt end of the egg. This is how the chick breathes during the latter stages of development. It should be small, to indicate freshness, about 1.5 cm for large fowl and 1 cm for bantam eggs. All eggs should be fresh, demonstrated by a small, taught airspace and a plump yolk and albumen.
Faults - more to come, pictures appreciated, especially of the following
Often seen coming from older birds.
The shell should be uniform in colour. It should also be smooth, free from wrinkles and calcium spots (the little bits of shell that can poke up, making the shell feel rough). If there is more than one egg, then the eggs should be uniform in size and colour. All eggs should be the appropriate colour for the breed, e.g. white for Leghorns, brown for Rhode Island Red. If the eggs are meant to be mottled or speckled, then it is preferred that these are even too. The shell must be clean and stain free. You can wash the shell, but polishing or adding extra colour to the egg would result in you being reported to the PCGB.
Other things that will get you disqualified (but not reported) are double-yolked eggs, staleness, bantam eggs over 42.5g (1.5oz), a developing embryo and excessive blood or meat spots.
When judging contents, the yolk should be golden yellow, with no blood or meat spots. there should be no sign of embryo development (to prevent this, make sure that the egggs are collected twice daily). The yolk should be one uniform shade.
The white (albumen) should be clear, and the albumen should be thicker around the yolk, and thinner around the edge, with the two areas distinct. In the albumen, there are two thick cords of albumen, called chalaze. These are opposite each other and are what holds the yolk in place.
The airspace is the gap inbetween the cell membrane and the shell. It can be found at the blunt end of the egg. This is how the chick breathes during the latter stages of development. It should be small, to indicate freshness, about 1.5 cm for large fowl and 1 cm for bantam eggs. All eggs should be fresh, demonstrated by a small, taught airspace and a plump yolk and albumen.
Faults - more to come, pictures appreciated, especially of the following
- Biconical
- Elliptical
- Oval
- Spherical
- Conical
Often seen coming from older birds.
No Shell
This is an egg that has no shell, just the membrane. It can be caused by several different things, such as a lack of calcium in the diet, although this should not be a problem if they are on a commercial style layers ration with not too many treats, or it can be caused by shock. They are usually just a one off, in which case the problem can be put down to shock. If, however, it is a persistent problem, then diet is a more likely cause.
A shell-less egg laid by one of my hens. I have never had one since.
This is an egg that has no shell, just the membrane. It can be caused by several different things, such as a lack of calcium in the diet, although this should not be a problem if they are on a commercial style layers ration with not too many treats, or it can be caused by shock. They are usually just a one off, in which case the problem can be put down to shock. If, however, it is a persistent problem, then diet is a more likely cause.
A shell-less egg laid by one of my hens. I have never had one since.
Manure
Large chickens will produce around 4oz (100g) of manure a day. This
manure is very phosphorus rich and is sold in garden centres in
pelleted form as a fertilizer. However, if it is put on plants before
it has properly rotted down then it will burn them. To help with the
rotting process the soiled hay, straw or woodshavings should be put on
the muckheap or compost heap and allowed to rot down.
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