Early egg?

[Ridgerunner]

I remember all the basics on chicken raising but it has been 40 years, we got our first egg yesterday, only pigeon size but it was a fully formed egg. The girls are only 16 weeks, isn't that a little early?

I've had a few (very few) dual purpose pullets whose parents were hatchery dual purpose breeds lay their first egg at 16 weeks. These were not production reds or sex links, just regular dual purpose breeds like yours. Out of the remaining 21 you might get a few to start in the next month but I'd expect most to wait until after 20 weeks. But with living animals anything can happen.

The way I feed mine is to use a low calcium feed like Grower and offer oyster shell on the side. Do not mix the oyster sell in with the feed. That way the ones that need it for egg shells can eat to while the others do not eat enough to harm themselves.

 

[Lonesome Dough]

UPDATE:
as of yesterday 8/6 we got 18 eggs out of 22 hens, most are still a little small but we've also had a couple jumbos and double yolks. Until the size stabilizes our friends are enjoying free eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@jthornton has thread on here where he tracks the size of the eggs as the pullets age. It doesn't take them that long to get to a reasonable size, though they will be bigger still after their first adult molt. If I remember right, the number of double yolkers drops as they age too.

Sounds like you are right on schedule.

 

[jthornton]

and here is that thread on RIR laying frequency and egg size.

JT

 

[Ridgerunner]

and here is that thread on RIR laying frequency and egg size.

JT

Thanks

 

[aart]

Until the size stabilizes our friends are enjoying free eggs.

I sell 'Pullets Dozens' by weight of carton(24-27ozs = L-XL) for same price as for real dozen of 'bigger' eggs.

 

[Lonesome Dough]

So is the "I laid an egg" cackle one of pride or pain? I'm betting the initial small egg size is just a stretching exercise working up to the big ONE.

 

[aart]

So is the "I laid an egg" cackle one of pride or pain?

Neither.
Theory is it's the 'Here I am, Where's my flock' cackle.