11 week old chicks laying eggs!?

[silverback]

Yesterday our three 11 -12 week old Black Stars (rhode island red-barred rock hybrids) laid eggs!. I am out of town and my husband sent me photos - attached. I still find it hard to believe. They are about 1-1/2 inches long. They laid them on the floor of their coop - we hadn't even finished building a nest box for them yet since our other hens didn't start laying until 28 weeks. Has anyone else ever had this happen? They don't even have their combs developed yet and have never exhibited squatting or other mature behavior. How is this possible?
Silver
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/70073_baby_eggs.jpg

 

[teach1rusl]

Are you sure you have their ages right?? Could they be closer to 16-17 weeks????

 

[7L Farm]

Thats the earliest I've heard of. I thought I was doing good at 18 weeks.

 

[silverback]

>>Are you sure you have their ages right?? Could they be closer to 16-17 weeks????<<

Well, I got them from a friend on May 28 and they were still pretty small. She got them for Easter(April 24) and was told they were 2 weeks old making their hatching day April 10 more or less. So I figured they were about 7-8 weeks old when we got them. That adds up to 12 or so weeks. If they were older wouldn't their combs be larger and redder? I will get a photo of them and post it.

S.

 

[nlbeardmore]

Your very lucky!

 

[silverback]

We got another egg today from the "chicks" - a little larger. Should I worry or be happy? Could pre-mature egg laying portend problems???? Or just go with the flow?

S.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Thats what you wanted right Lol. I would love to have chickens laying at 11 weeks.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

I have been having dreams about getting tiny eggs from my "underage" pullets. These look exactly like the ones from my dreams!
Holy Mackeral!

 

[teach1rusl]

Pictures of your birds would be great!! See if your friend has any picture of when she/he first got them too. The earliest I've heard of a chicken laying was 16 weeks...I think your birds would have a record

 

[ChicKat]

Do you think it could be a combination of both early maturing birds and getting birds just a bit older than they originally thought? Black Sex Links are, after all supposed to mature even earlier than Red Sex Links, and the people raising them would keep early maturing parent birds. Maybe your chicks belong in Guiness Book of Records.

Another reinforcement for them being early layers is that at least one of those eggs really does look quite tiny.

Congratulations.