4 month old dropped a yolk in grass

[cait8876]

I have 6 hens and 2 roosters I got 15 weeks ago from tractor supply. A few days ago I noticed what looked like yolk in a soft casing on the droppings board, and yesterday we let them all out of their run and right away one of the girls popped out a yolk and a small piece of shell in the grass.

Im putting the nesting boxes in tonight, I had held off to make sure no one got used to sleeping in them.

Is this normal behavior? I thought 15 weeks was young to start egg laying?
They're still on grower feed, should I switch them all to layer feed now? I have half a bag of grower feed left, can it be mixed?

Thank you!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Are they golden comets? I've heard of them starting at fifteen weeks. Get some crushed oyster shell, put in a separate container near the food.
My golden comets started laying at 4 months. I started my girls on layers feed at 16 weeks. I mixed 50/50 with the start and grow for two weeks, then straight layers pellets.
I mixed the left over growers with scratch grains 50/50 to finish it up at eighteen weeks. But you could mix it with corn or just toss it by itself on the ground as a treat. GC

 

[Pendragonz]

I have 6 hens and 2 roosters I got 15 weeks ago from tractor supply. A few days ago I noticed what looked like yolk in a soft casing on the droppings board, and yesterday we let them all out of their run and right away one of the girls popped out a yolk and a small piece of shell in the grass.

Im putting the nesting boxes in tonight, I had held off to make sure no one got used to sleeping in them.

Is this normal behavior? I thought 15 weeks was young to start egg laying?
They're still on grower feed, should I switch them all to layer feed now? I have half a bag of grower feed left, can it be mixed?

Thank you!

You can definitely keep feeding them the grower. A lot of people will keep them on the grower, or flock raiser, and never go to layer feed as long as you supplement with the oyster shell for the calcium. I bet you're anxious to start getting real eggs.

 

[cait8876]

Thank you both for responding!
They do look like golden comets, I wasn't sure what they were. At tractor supply they were just labeled pullets and the person working said they were just a mix of breeds so I was never sure what to call them.

I just want to make sure my girls are getting everything they need. I got some Oyster Shells in the coop last night and their nest boxes have been set up. I thought I had at least another month before eggs begin so having the yolk pop out took my by surprise!
After your responses and doing some research I won't be giving the layer feed just yet.

 

[Blooie]

You may have a girl that is going to start early and begin to lay very normal eggs regularly from now on, or she could not do another thing for a couple of weeks yet. At this age all the parts are getting in sync, and although they are almost working, there's a few kinks to work out yet. I had a pullet lay 2 rubber eggs (eggs with very soft and in her case partial shells) in a row, and then she did nothing more for 2 more weeks. That was sweet Beatrice. And even after she did start laying nice eggs very regularly, she'd still drop a rubber egg from time to time. Silly chickens!

 

[cait8876]

less then 24 hours after putting the nesting boxes and oyster shells in the coop I received my first egg!!!!
so exciting!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Congratulations! Yes they are golden comets. My girls are so friendly, I raised them from day one. I get 4 to 5 delicious eggs a day. GC

 

[Blooie]

Yayyy! Congrats on that egg, first of many!