Alternative / Egg Size Management
  1. Body weight at maturity
    The larger the body weight at first egg, the
    larger that hen’s eggs will be for her entire
    life. For maximum egg size, do not
    stimulate maturity with lights until a body
    weight of 1500 - 1550 grams is attained.
     
  2. Rate of maturity
    This also relates to body size, but in general the earlier the age a flock begins production, the smaller the egg size will be and likewise, the later the maturity, the larger the egg size.
     
    Lighting programmes can be manipulated to influence rate of maturity. A decreasing light pattern during growing will delay maturity and increase average egg size.
     
  3. Nutrition
    Egg size is greatly affected by the intake of crude protein, specific amino acids such as methionine and cystine, energy, total fat and the essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid. Levels of these nutrients can be increased to improve early egg size and gradually reduced to control late egg size.
Egg Size
Egg Size Management

Egg size is to a large extent genetically deter- mined, but within this given range, we can manage to either increase or decrease the egg size to suit the particular market needs. The following management areas should be given particular attention.
Hy-Line Variety Brown Egg Size Distribution
Hy-Line, Gereations of success