Leghorn Eggs

[Hen-Gen]

Back in March I bought some Buff Leghorn eggs on eBay. I was disappointed that the eggs were quite small. Nevertheless I hatched them and the three pullets are now, at 27 weeks, in lay. The eggs are much bigger than the eggs from which they hatched so I’m very happy with them. But. when they arrived I nearly binned them. Just goes to show “ don’t judge a chicken by it’s egg”.?

 

[Marigold]

Also, don’t sell eggs for hatching unless from properly mature and well-fed hens, laying large enough eggs to provide plenty of nourishment for the embryos! I bet the eggs you bought were from pullets, less than a year old.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Yes, probably. A friend of mine, very inexperienced with chicken at the start of 2020, went from nothing to about a dozen hybrids, then took on another half dozen and a TNN rooster when somebody emigrated. Now she has built about 3 coops for them all (one is constructed in an olive tree), and has been given a broody with eggs. The broody kicked out some eggs as a couple of chicks hatched and one died. My friend was going to bin the ones the broody abandoned, but then she heard one cheep! So she took all 4 eggs, rigged up an incy overnight, and spent a very anxious 24 hours hatching 3 eggs with texts back and forth between us. She wasn't aware of the importance of humidity, so at least one of the chicks got a bit of a dowsing! She managed to integrate one of the chicks back with Mum, but the hen wouldn't accept the other 2. So, my friend rigged up a brooder and they are fighting fit, bouncing about. She has gone up a massive learning curve, and is a natural. She totally 'gets it' and I am so proud of her. And it also goes to show, don't bin an egg because Mum did!