Egg at 16 Weeks??

[jdford]

Hi All,

First post here and an exciting one as we got our first egg from our 4 cream legbars this morning. My fiancee went outside around 7am and heard some crazy noises in the coop and saw a bunch of shavings being kicked out. We didn't look inside until later but surprise!! We didn't even have our nesting box ready yet because I thought we weren't getting eggs until September. Is this crazy or were they older than we were told when we got them?

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC and congrats on that beautiful first egg!

When it comes to pullets laying, it really is hard to predict. Sometimes they begin laying when they are sixteen weeks old and sometimes when they are 8 months old. There is nothing wrong with your pullet laying at this age--if fact, you're quite lucky!

Enjoy that egg!

 

[jpalmatier83]

Congrats!!!

Yeah, depending on the breed and the individual chicken itself they can lay at a pretty wide range of ages.

I had white leghorns start laying at 14 weeks and was just as surprised as you. The eggs were so tiny lol

 

[aart]

Hi All,

First post here and an exciting one as we got our first egg from our 4 cream legbars this morning. My fiancee went outside around 7am and heard some crazy noises in the coop and saw a bunch of shavings being kicked out. We didn't look inside until later but surprise!! We didn't even have our nesting box ready yet because I thought we weren't getting eggs until September. Is this crazy or were they older than we were told when we got them?

I'd say they are older than you think......how old did were you told they were when you got them?

 

[lazy gardener]

I've had birds start laying at 16 weeks. What are you feeding them? Extra protein can promote earlier laying.

 

[jdford]

There were apparently 5 weeks old when we get them in early May. This is what they looked like on the day we got them. I've fed them a bag of Starter Feed from TSC until finished and now they are on a Layer Feed from Rolling Acres. They also get a good variety of treats, yogurt, barley pearls, oatmeal, rice, vegetables and a bit of fruit now and again. I let them free range in the back yard 5-6 times a week to snack on bugs etc.

 

[aart]

There were apparently 5 weeks old when we get them in early May. This is what they looked like on the day we got them. I've fed them a bag of Starter Feed from TSC until finished and now they are on a Layer Feed from Rolling Acres. They also get a good variety of treats, yogurt, barley pearls, oatmeal, rice, vegetables and a bit of fruit now and again. I let them free range in the back yard 5-6 times a week to snack on bugs etc.

5 weeks looks about right, it can be really hard to tell tho around that age unless you hatched them yourself or got them as a day olds.....
....so they could have been a couple weeks older.
Cream Legbar are usually not one of the earlier layers.

 

[jdford]

So 1st egg was Sunday morning an no 2nd egg yet! Is that strange?

 

[aart]

So 1st egg was Sunday morning an no 2nd egg yet! Is that strange?

Nope.....it can take up to a month or so before things smooth out and get 'regular'....and some birds don't lay daily ever.

 

[jdford]

Egg #2 today! And in the nesting box! Will 1 nesting box enough for 4 hens?