handtmorgan
Chirping
- May 8, 2021
- 26
- 25
- 54
We have several generations or tribes like most of you might. While our sole egg-layer (at the time) Maybell was busy with her 1st brood, our RIR Rosemary, who we bought at the store 24 weeks earlier decided to lay. I thought this was average to late age but chalked it up to her surviving a black kite attack when she was young. A week later her store bought Easter Egger sis Hazel started laying 25 weeks after we bought her. I thought this was about average for an EE.
So our 3rd generation (which I incubated from our now broody matriarch hen) started laying just after Hazel. They are 4 half Ameraucana, half BO pullets at 17 weeks, and they had soft shell eggs for less than a week. Today at exactly 18 weeks we got a lavender and a tan egg. The tan egg was smaller than Rosie's (RIR) eggs from yesterday and I had already collected Hazel's (EE) blue egg from earlier today.
So I think 2 of my 4 young EE's are laying. This really surprised me. Their mama BO laid early at 16.5 to 17 weeks, but I thought EE's are more in the 5-7 month range. We're at just over 4 months.
It's a happy surprise, but do you think the 2nd generation laying spurred on the 3rd gen? I know it's a combination of factors like sun and maybe genetics. I'm just curious if anyone else had hens rub off on younger hens/pullets. Or do you think this is more due to the genetics of their mom laying early too?
Pic of 3 of the 4 in my lap just for fun. This never happens, but my daughter said, "here, hold these." for some reason.
So our 3rd generation (which I incubated from our now broody matriarch hen) started laying just after Hazel. They are 4 half Ameraucana, half BO pullets at 17 weeks, and they had soft shell eggs for less than a week. Today at exactly 18 weeks we got a lavender and a tan egg. The tan egg was smaller than Rosie's (RIR) eggs from yesterday and I had already collected Hazel's (EE) blue egg from earlier today.
So I think 2 of my 4 young EE's are laying. This really surprised me. Their mama BO laid early at 16.5 to 17 weeks, but I thought EE's are more in the 5-7 month range. We're at just over 4 months.
It's a happy surprise, but do you think the 2nd generation laying spurred on the 3rd gen? I know it's a combination of factors like sun and maybe genetics. I'm just curious if anyone else had hens rub off on younger hens/pullets. Or do you think this is more due to the genetics of their mom laying early too?
Pic of 3 of the 4 in my lap just for fun. This never happens, but my daughter said, "here, hold these." for some reason.
