Are first eggs normally smaller?

[briggate]

Last year we got 6 buff orpington hens at 26weeks - already laying wonderful large brown eggs. This year a friend raised 10 orpington chicks for us and we took posession of them at 6 weeks. They are in a pen with 2 older birds (last year's layers) and are just now laying. We got 2 new eggs this morning that are much smaller than the usual size for orpingtons. Is this normal?

 

[ekemily]

yes, the first eggs are pitiful looking little things. As the bird matures, they will lay larger eggs.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Yes, what ekemily said! They're cute, those first eggs, but they'll get larger before too long.

 

[briggate]

Good - I'll look forward to that. In the meantime, these little ones are sure cute! As of today, 4 more have jumped on the bandwagon so I have LOTS of little eggs!

 

[ekemily]

they are nice to blow out and keep for easter time since they are smaller and cute for little baskets and things.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
they'd never last that long around here--nothing makes better eating than a frying pan with 8 or so pullet eggs, sunny-side up. Yum!

 

[ekemily]

Quote:
they'd never last that long around here--nothing makes better eating than a frying pan with 8 or so pullet eggs, sunny-side up. Yum!

I know what you mean. You can still eat the egg though. You just blow it out into a bowl or something.

It gets a little scrambled...

 

[bigoakhunter]

yup.... They can be small or shelless orlaid anywhere. But after the first few, they come in better size and laid in nestbox!

 

[ekemily]

Quote:
I'm glad you added that "and laid in nestbox."
I have a new batch of 20 hens that is just laying them all over the place. I don't remember having this problem with new layers. I've put fake eggs in the nest box and I've tried to make it more comfy for them. I pick up any wayward eggs as quickly as I can get to them. I hope it works and they get their act together.