What determines an egg’s shape and size?
Egg size is determined by the hen’s stature, and her age. A young, small hen typically lays pee-wee to small-sized eggs, but as she matures, her eggs are more frequently in the medium to large range. Jumbo eggs are usually laid by hens over one year old. Egg shape is hereditary, so hens from the same family will lay similarly-shaped eggs. They can range from nearly round (ping pong balls) to long and thin (we call these torpedoes). There are also lumpy or wrinkled shapes that are a little more unusual, and typically come from very young hens who are still mastering their technique, or old hens who are losing their finesse.
