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Question regarding feeding/laying connection

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post #1 of 5

5/3/12 at 9:01am

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Coop Deville

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Is there a connection between how much a hen eats in its young life and its egg-laying abilities when it matures?

I'm a new chicken owner expecting my first eggs in a few weeks. One of my Welsummers is a runt. I'm not sure if it's a genetic issue or if, for whatever reason, she didn't eat as much as she should have when she was little. Now at 12 weeks she is much smaller than the others. A few questions:

Will her small size affect her egg-laying ability? Can I expect the same size eggs and frequency as her normal-sized friends?

Supposing that she is small now because she was underfed, will she ever catch up in size, or is she stunted for life?

Much obliged in advance.

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post #2 of 5

5/3/12 at 9:36am

Coop de Grille

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I'm curious about this question too. I have six 18 week old Buff Orpingtons and one of them, my smallest, started to lay one day before they turned 18 weeks old. She is laying very tiny eggs daily. I weighed them and they weigh between 34 and 37 grams.

Jakk... Homeschooling mom of four kids, two dogs, three cats, 6 Buff Orpingtons hatched on Christmas Day, 16 Hatchery Choice Pullets, 6 TSC Red Pullets all hatched on 2/22, 8 babes hatched 3/21, 9 babies hatched on May 11th. Sixteen Easter Eggers hatched Sept 1, two White Ameraucana hatched Sept 5th...and trying to resist the urge to fill the incubator!

post #3 of 5

5/3/12 at 12:48pm

RedDrgn
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It's not quantity so much as quality. I mean, so long as they have free access to food and water and are healthy, they'll eat what they need.

Runts are kind of a toss up, but it's usually an indication of genetics and/or poorer overall health. Of course, there are always exceptions and maybe she'll have a bit of a growth spurt and do some catching up, too. Assuming that she is healthy, I wouldn't think it'd affect her laying ability, though she'll likely lay eggs proportioned to her smaller size.

Is it possible that she is actually a bantam rather than a LF?

A Mixed 6-Chicken Flock

post #4 of 5

5/3/12 at 5:40pm

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Coop Deville

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Thank you for the info, RedDrgn. I considered the possibility that a bantam got mixed in with the bin of regulars. It turns out the hatchery doesn't sell Welsummer bantams, so she has to be a runt or late bloomer.

post #5 of 5

5/4/12 at 6:15am