Do young heavy layers ever calm (slow) down?

[Mother of Chaos]

This is the opposite problem from many, but I’m getting concerned about my Easter Egger over-laying, if there is such a thing.

She has been laying for three weeks, and after a few hiccups (soft shells, etc.), she has laid every single day so far. Six of the eggs have been double yolked, meaning that she is starting multiple eggs a day. The doubles were not preceded or followed by a day off.

I deliberately avoided production breeds, but of course, EE’s are mutts. Is it possible that a non-blue-egg-gene got in the breeding mix somewhere along the line? I don’t want to lose her at a young age.

Is this part of the quirks in egg-laying that pullets experience (3 weeks!), and if so, when might it calm down?

The other two started laying 9 or so days ago, and now THEY’RE daily laying as well 3 eggs a day for all three for 6 days in a row.

Nothing special in feed; flaked oyster and egg shell provided.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Fairly common for new layers to lay daily (or near daily) for several weeks once they start. The double yolks may or may not settle down. I think once they go through the yearly daylight cycle they will slow down or stop completely till spring. It seems pullets who start laying earlier in the summer will stop laying for the winter while those who start later in the fall may very well continue to lay into winter, or so I’ve read.

As for a non-blue egg gene being in your EE’s background, yes that is quite possible as EEs are generally created with a blue layer and a brown layer but a white layer can be used as well. This should make little to no difference in the egg production unless a high production breed was used. Though I would expect most hatcheries to have a hybrid breeding flock of EEs rather than starting from scratch with 2 breeds.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

…As for a non-blue egg gene being in your EE’s background, yes that is quite possible as EEs are generally created with a blue layer and a brown layer but a white layer can be used as well. This should make little to no difference in the egg production unless a high production breed was used. Though I would expect most hatcheries to have a hybrid breeding flock of EEs rather than starting from scratch with 2 breeds.

Right, I’m aware that non-blues are in the original breedstock; just concerned that a high-production breed might have crept in there somewhere. The comment about hatchery breeding stock makes sense!

Fairly common for new layers to lay daily (or near daily) for several weeks once they start. The double yolks may or may not settle down. I think once they go through the yearly daylight cycle they will slow down or stop completely till spring…

This is really reassuring, thanks! All I seem to read is on the opposite side (erratic; shell problems; not laying at all.)

- Fun note: my iPhone auto-corrupted breedstock to breadstick