NSW drought: Farmer's surprise at massive chicken egg | Photos, pictures

In a tractor load of sad news surrounding the drought, this egg-cellent news has left many people crowing with delight.

Justin Dolbel is among our region’s drought-affected farmers, his family-run property is in Gilmandyke south of Bathurst.

Since the drought began, times have been very tough for this dedicated farmer – his cattle are starving, some have died and his family’s debt levels just keep rising as they try to keep their remaining stock alive.

Recently, on Mr Dolbel’s daily pilgrimage out to the chook pen to collect the eggs, he discovered a whopping surprise.

One of his dedicated layers, an isa brown for those interested, had laid her biggest-ever egg.

“It’s eight centimetres long and 17.5 centimetres around,” Mr Dolbel said.

“It weighed 116 grams which is the equivalent of two large eggs.

“They lay every day, but they don’t normally lay large eggs like this.”

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Mr Dolbel also has ducks on his property and while those eggs would usually out-size a chicken’s egg, it didn’t in this case.

“I put it [the large chicken egg] against that duck egg and it’s bigger,” he said.

“I’ve seen some big eggs, but not that big before.”

So, with thoughts of cakes and pavlova, eggs poached, fried or scrambled – Mr Dolbel has some big decisions to make.

But, for now he said he will keep the giant egg aside and think of a great recipe in which to use it.

Western Advocate