Barely 16 week old EE pullet lays first egg! Now what?

[Amy's Animals]

I know this has nothing to do with breed or gender but I didn't get any replies on "Chicken Behavior and Egglaying" So I decided to try my luck here instead. Anywho, I'm beyond excited!!! One of my two (I have a good idea of which one) Easter Egger pullets just layed a tiny olive egg, its about 1 3/4 inches long and 1 inch wide. They are both barely 16 weeks old!!!! Their birthday is April 3, so Monday they will be 16 weeks!! I"m estatic because I wasn't expecting an egg for at least another 2 months! When I came back this morning from my volunteer Fish Resque, my 4 pullets were free ranging and I only saw 3 out of 4, then I called a couple times which usually all sends them running my way, but not the missing one, I went and looked and found her sitting under a fir tree and acting like a hen who is about to lay an egg, so I left her alone, she got on and off the "nest" a couple times and when I got back from Wal-Mart today, there was a tiny olive egg waiting for me under that tree! Now, should I start feeding her layer feed and offering her oystershells? This would be kind of a problem as her brooder buddies aren't laying yet so they would probably consume it also, or not??? Will non-laying pullets eat oystershells? If not, I could just feed her oystershells and chick grower for now, until the rest starts laying also. Thanks in advance.

 

[becky3086]

I think they should have been off the chick starter by now. The laying mash and oyster shells won't hurt them a bit and I have had chickens lay at 4 months many times so I don't think it is that unusual. Good luck with yours.

 

[Sillystunt]

make sure you post in the right section. If you get no replies, bump it. The mods have alot of SPAM!!
This section is for what breed or gender~

 

[jossanne]

Quote:
The OP said it was originally posted in the right section, but got no response.

That's why it's posted here - she's looking for an answer, somewhere, anywhere...

I switch all my birds to grower feed at 8 weeks, and layer pellets at 16 weeks. It works for me, and my birds seem healthy and happy. Good luck, and congratulations on your pretty little new egg!

 

[Amy's Animals]

Thanks for your help

Would it be ok for the 12 week old pullets to consume the layer pellets though?

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Oh my! That really is an early egg for an EE...in my humble experience that is....Congratulations!! Any EE I've ever had held out until they were between 20 and 22 weeks before they layed me an egg.

All of my young girls are EE crosses with either cochin or polish, and their right at 16 weeks as well, and now I think my weekend will be consumed creating a nest box area for them! Here's hoping I might be so lucky as you.

 

[jossanne]

I don't know how to keep the younger chickens out of the lay pellets, because mine all run together. I just try to keep grower feed in a place where only the smaller birds can get to it, but that doesn't always work because there's not always that big of a size difference. So basically, I just take grower feed out there and watch to make sure the younger birds get some before the bigger ones get to it...

I have every age of birds free ranging, from 2 months to 15 months old, bantams to large fowl to turkeys. I figure that in nature they don't all get just exactly the feed that is geared to their age range, so they won't suffer too badly for getting into the wrong feed. I dunno how great it is, but that's how it works here.

 

[Sillystunt]

Quote:
The OP said it was originally posted in the right section, but got no response.

That's why it's posted here - she's looking for an answer, somewhere, anywhere...

I switch all my birds to grower feed at 8 weeks, and layer pellets at 16 weeks. It works for me, and my birds seem healthy and happy. Good luck, and congratulations on your pretty little new egg!

Yeah and she has responses, i was under the impression we weren't aloud to double post..my bad~

 

[DuckLady]

duplicate

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=222654