Brown Leghorn Egg Question

[ChickensRDinos]

I have had a white leghorn for over a year now and she is an amazing egg layer - gigantic beautiful egg every single day that doesn't even fit right in a carton. Because she is so great I decided to get a second leghorn. I got a brown one because I thought she was pretty.

I had heard that they are slightly less good layers than the white but decided that was fine.

The brown leghorn recently started laying (a little earlier than I am used to at about 18 weeks) and the difference is DRAMATIC. Her eggs are almost as small as my bantum cochin's. She lays every single day but they are very small. This is definitely not "slightly." I will put a picture below of the two leghorn's eggs next to here other.

Is this normal? Is it possible they will get bigger as she gets older? She does not look fully physically mature to me yet. She is still a bit smaller than the other leghorn and her comb is still growing. She has been laying for about a month now with these same results.

I have everyone eating a grower mash with oyster cell on the side and a splash of ACV in their water. The two girls were purchased from different farms. I don't know if this could also be a factor.

Any thoughts or suggestions? This just doesn't seem right!

Thank you!!

 

[ChicKat]

you are right on all counts.

Pullets start laying smaller eggs---and their eggs reach full size in about 7-8 weeks of laying, I believe. The fact that she started so young, doesn't seem fully grown may also be influencing her egg size. And different breeds of different birds from different locations are also factors that will explain the difference.

Most likely your pullet's eggs will get larger, but may never be as large as the ones you get from your white leghorn.

 

[DanEP]

Yes they'll get bigger it will just take a while. I have a leghorn that started at 18 weeks also and hers were less than 1/2 oz when she started and at 21 weeks their still just into the small size but at least their growing . Yours will too it just takes time.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

you are right on all counts.

Pullets start laying smaller eggs---and their eggs reach full size in about 7-8 weeks of laying, I believe. The fact that she started so young, doesn't seem fully grown may also be influencing her egg size. And different breeds of different birds from different locations are also factors that will explain the difference.

Most likely your pullet's eggs will get larger, but may never be as large as the ones you get from your white leghorn.

Thank you! I was hoping that was the case. I will just try to be more patient.