Are my two hens prematurely "mature?"

[All about the EGG]

The reason I ask is I read if they start laying early, and have small eggs, they were matured too early. Although the other day I did get a large egg.

 

[Lobzi]

Did you feed your chicks a very high protein diet? I read that can cause early laying. I am expecting that from mine as I fed her a lot of egg,chicken and turkey burger as she was growing up.

 

[All about the EGG]

Not sure whats considered high...Kent Chic go.

 

[Lobzi]

Me neither, but since I did not have any chicken type food when I first found her, I just started her on protein foods. She seemed to really like a lot of animal products so I just kept feeding her the fore mentioned even after getting her chick starter. I am guessing her diet went from 70% protein to currently 50%. I am waiting to see if she starts laying early. She is going on 3 months so normally I would not see any eggs for another 3 months, according to statistics. Time will tell.

 

[INchickens]

My chickens have started laying about a month earlier than I projected. They were not fed a high protien diet, just purchased chick starter and then switched to grower feed. Their eggs are small....but from what I've learned, that is normal .... "pullet eggs", and will get bigger. They have been laying for a week now, and yesterday I finally got one "normal" size egg. I'm guessing that chickens just mature at different rates, just like humans.

Whatever the reason....I'm loving the eggs!

Good Luck

 

[KrisRose]

When pullets start laying the eggs are on the small side. At what age they start laying depends on the breed. The hybrids usually are the first to lay, my Red Sex Links started at 4 months. With pure layer breeds it can take up to 6 months.