I have a mixed flock of 12 standard sized hens and one rooster that are all about 21-22 weeks old. One of them has started laying and has been at it going on two weeks now. The thing is, she is laying a little bitty egg that doesn't seem to be getting any bigger. I have a flock of girls who are about a year and a half so I remember that when they started laying the eggs were small but theirs quickly grew to a "normal" sized range. The smallest I get from the big girls is 54 grams (1.9 ounces) and ranges up to about 68 grams (2.4 ounces).
The eggs I'm getting from my new layer is 40 grams (1.41 ounces). It did get a little bigger and she was gaining a gram a day for a few days but now they're not and she's stopped at 40g. She is a Silver Laced Wyandotte and the first layer of the bunch. I know Wyandotte's have a reputation for laying later so I'm wondering if maybe since she started so early they're just small? I have four other Blue Laced Red Wyandotte's, one looks like her comb and wattles are getting her closer to lay but the other two aren't anywhere near ready yet. They and the SLW are all about the same size. These are my first Wyandotte's that have made it to lay (lost two last year before they could) so I don't have any reference for what size eggs they lay but I thought they'd be a little bigger!
So what do you think? Am I destined to have to put two of her perfect but tiny eggs in my egg poaching cups to get one normal size breakfast or do I just need to be patient a little longer? I don't have a picture but I can take one if necessary. I'm in Washington and we're lucky to get a nice day so major amounts of heat isn't the issue and nobody is sick that I can tell. Rooster boy isn't getting romantic with them yet but all other rooster duties are being filled. I'm still pretty new at this (only had chickens about a 1.5 years) so I don't know what dynamics would affect it.
Thanks for any info!
The eggs I'm getting from my new layer is 40 grams (1.41 ounces). It did get a little bigger and she was gaining a gram a day for a few days but now they're not and she's stopped at 40g. She is a Silver Laced Wyandotte and the first layer of the bunch. I know Wyandotte's have a reputation for laying later so I'm wondering if maybe since she started so early they're just small? I have four other Blue Laced Red Wyandotte's, one looks like her comb and wattles are getting her closer to lay but the other two aren't anywhere near ready yet. They and the SLW are all about the same size. These are my first Wyandotte's that have made it to lay (lost two last year before they could) so I don't have any reference for what size eggs they lay but I thought they'd be a little bigger!
So what do you think? Am I destined to have to put two of her perfect but tiny eggs in my egg poaching cups to get one normal size breakfast or do I just need to be patient a little longer? I don't have a picture but I can take one if necessary. I'm in Washington and we're lucky to get a nice day so major amounts of heat isn't the issue and nobody is sick that I can tell. Rooster boy isn't getting romantic with them yet but all other rooster duties are being filled. I'm still pretty new at this (only had chickens about a 1.5 years) so I don't know what dynamics would affect it.
Thanks for any info!
