Average size egg for a RIR

[lutherpug]

I have a RIR who will be a year old in April.

She lays a nice dark egg more days than not but it is smaller than I was expecting. I just assumed it was due to her being young when she first started laying last summer but they're the same size now that she's picked back up here after a short winter hiatus.

I have 3 layers-the RIR, an Australorp, and a Dominique. The RIR eggs are the smallest. Barely smaller than the Dominique but noticeably smaller than the Australorp. All the same age. I know this is probably a tricky question but for those of you who have Australorps and RIRs-how do the eggs compare for you?

The RIR is also kind of a bully and I'm considering rehoming her while she still has a lot of laying life left if I can find her a nice home.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a RIR who will be a year old in April.

She lays a nice dark egg more days than not but it is smaller than I was expecting. I just assumed it was due to her being young when she first started laying last summer but they're the same size now that she's picked back up here after a short winter hiatus.

I have 3 layers-the RIR, an Australorp, and a Dominique. The RIR eggs are the smallest. Barely smaller than the Dominique but noticeably smaller than the Australorp. All the same age. I know this is probably a tricky question but for those of you who have Australorps and RIRs-how do the eggs compare for you?

The RIR is also kind of a bully and I'm considering rehoming her while she still has a lot of laying life left if I can find her a nice home.

RIR eggs can be some smaller----alot are a medium size egg the first year, but they usually get bigger their second year. Alot of RIR's think they are the Boss!!

 

[mizz9]

Funny how their personalities can be different! We have 3 chickens: one RIR, one Barred Rock and one Black Australorp. The RIR is the sweetest girl of the bunch. She is also our best egg layer - the eggs are a bit small but she lays almost every day! The BR is 2nd in egg laying, she takes one more day off than RIR. Our BA is mean (or just really stupid not sure which) and bites people and she barely lays eggs...and just this week she forgot how to use the nest box and is going in the bushes. But when she lays an egg it is much larger than the other girls. They will all be 1 year old in May. I am guessing her egg production will increase in a couple months.

 

[lutherpug]

It is always interesting to hear about other chickens and their personalities. My BA is a quiet gentle bird. Not cuddly but very easily handled. Lays a big egg 4-5 times a week. My RIR is mostly nice to people but she has completely terrorized my younger pullets for at least a month after everyone else accepted them. The pullets are all completely deranged and scared of everything. If they see the RIR coming they fall all over themselves to get away from her. It's exhausting!

Good to know they can lay smaller eggs. I do think I'm going to try to find her a new home while she's young. She'll make a lovely bird for someone else but she is causing too much drama in my limited space.

 

[mizz9]

Aww poor little pullets... yeah sounds like she needs to be with some chickens that can put her in her place (or can handle her drama)

 

[aart]

I have a RIR who will be a year old in April.

She lays a nice dark egg more days than not but it is smaller than I was expecting. I just assumed it was due to her being young when she first started laying last summer but they're the same size now that she's picked back up here after a short winter hiatus.

I have 3 layers-the RIR, an Australorp, and a Dominique. The RIR eggs are the smallest. Barely smaller than the Dominique but noticeably smaller than the Australorp. All the same age. I know this is probably a tricky question but for those of you who have Australorps and RIRs-how do the eggs compare for you?

The RIR is also kind of a bully and I'm considering rehoming her while she still has a lot of laying life left if I can find her a nice home.

These are all ambiguous terms.
Best to give weights when asking for comparison....
....or pics with a coin(quarter) for scale.

 

[lutherpug]

These are all ambiguous terms.
Best to give weights when asking for comparison....
....or pics with a coin(quarter) for scale.

Yeah, I know......

I couldn't get a very good pic, the perspective wasn't making it look quite like it did in real life. It's not really a big deal, I was just curious. For some reason I had it in my head that the breed lays large eggs and I wouldn't classify hers as large by any stretch.

 

[Spartan22]

I got 5 RIRs that are almost 2 yrs old their eggs are bigger than medium but smaller than large. They're all friendly, high energy and curious pecks my pant legs if I don't pick them up. Now I also have 3 Black Australorps very docile, like lap dogs and bigger birds than RIR, all 13 months old and do lays bigger eggs than RIRs and more consistent in egg laying, comparing them @ same age when my RIRs were a yr old. Regarding personalities I guess depends on genetic strains and hatchery source.

 

[SiriusChicken]

I have a similar problem with one of my RIRs. One is nice to the smaller pullets and cockerel and the other one is sooooo mean, chasing, pecking, pulling out feathers and terrifying them whenever I step away. They're free range during the day so I'm there a lot but I can't always be there to protect them.

I had to separate the RIRs from the younger ones at night since the little ones were just too stressed and not drinking enough. I would have to hold their water for them after they roosted and they would drink so much I was worried for their health. It's sad because she's sweet to people.

She behaves when she sees me, mostly, after many scoldings and cage separations. I've been trying to reward her good behavior with treats and block her or distract her when she tries to peck them but it's a slow process. Her sister is much more responsive to training. I told her no twice and she stopped chasing them. And she's never pecked them. But I just can't teach the other one. She loves me but it's like she can't resist attacking them. She's never pecked her sister though. I laughed the other day when her sister pecked her for the first time and she freaked out, squawking and running, even though it wasn't nearly as bad as what she does to the others. So I allowed that. I hope it gets better after they start laying in a month. Someone here said something about hormones being wacky.