Different breeds lay eggs of different sizes which have an impact on how we cook with them. If your recipe calls for large eggs, are you worried that using slightly smaller ones will ruin the dish? Usually not, but it’s still enough of a worry that treating eggs as interchangeable when they actualy have different weight profiles can cause some confusion among backyard chicken keepers who wants to know: Are my birds laying what I think they’re supposed to be? And does egg size matter when I’m considering what to make from the eggs?
There is a biological connection between the size of an egg and the body size of hen. The bigger and heavier the bird, the more she can uses for developing egg parts: yolk and albumen. Think about it: a brahma can be up to 18 pounds; a white leghorn is four or five. One lays big white eggs and stays trim and lively; the other makes jumbo brown ones but eats more feed per dozen. Depending on which breed you choose, you will get larger or smaller birds but fewer egg.
Does Egg Size Matter?
A common misconception among many novice hensperts is that the color of an egg mean something about its flavor or size. It doesn’t. Protoporphyrin gets deposited onto the shell during the egg’s last few hours in the oviduct; it does not affect the quality inside or the nutrition it contains. For example, a cream-colored Sussex egg might look like milk paint next to a deep chocolate Marans egg. However, they could weigh exactly the same. Both are the same size, but one just happens to look like cocoa powder and the other looks like milk paint.
To sort out the biological from the marketing, the chart categorize breeds according to their actual metrics: what they produce, not how pretty it looks. The production numbers reflect this trade-off: The workhorses of the poultry world, White Leghorns, lay over three-hundred eggs per year; heavy dual-purpose breeds such as Orpingtons may cap out at about two-hundred. If you’re prioritizing quantity, you’ll save several hundred calories by feeding less. However, every one of those additional hundred or so eggs from the Orpington will be noticeably larger and perhaps richer. This is thanks to its slower metabolism, which stores more energy in the yolk. This is again a classic trade-off between industrial efficiency and artisanal quality, much like so much else in agriculture where we make day-to-day choices.
All of these numbers are heavily affected by season. No matter the chicken breed, hens has natural hormones that respond to daylight hours and trigger them to lay. Light deprivation during winter can reduce production by 50 percent in any of these breeds; you’ll never have as much as you do in the summer when it’s quiet. To keep things going, supplementing with additional lighting in the coop is one option, but it also wears down those shell glands, so even consistent producers may begin having odd-sized or thinning shells as they age.
When it comes time to cook, egg size once again matters, as baking depend on careful measurement of liquid-to-structure ratio. If you have a lot of whites (like with a jumbo egg), you need to reduce other liquids proportionately or risk a soggy cake. Likewise, larger eggs is better for frying. They allow for a wider yolk that spreads across the pan more easily. This helps the runny interior stay put while you achieve a perfect crispy outer rim before the egg breaks apart too soon.
When hard boiling, keep in mind that thicker shells takes longer to cook through (particularly their centers), so you could of just guess by looking, or you will end up with underdone centers or rubbery yolks.
When choosing which flock fits into your life best, the bottom line is this: what are you willing to sacrifice? Do you love green Easter Eggers? Maybe it’s the large number of brown-laying Rhode Island Red hens keeping your pantry filled during the off season. Or maybe it’s the novelty of green Easter Egger eggs from a five-pound bird that makes all the difference. Each breed has its rhythms and personalities in your coop. Knowing up front what each breed brings saves heartbreak later when your expectations don’t match what the brochure promises. Read the production numbers carefully after the visual appeal gets you excited; because enthusiasm wears out quicker then feed bills!
Whatever the size or color of their eggs, the right ones for you will be the ones that fit your lifestyle. And sometimes the ‘right’ egg is consistent rather than perfect… As you’re creating lasting habits surrounding fresh sources of food.