Egg Laying Behavior - 1st Timer Question "Pulsing/Clutching Vent" CornishX

[U_Stormcrow]

I just don't think any chicken laying eggs before 20 weeks to be a good idea.

That said, I don't do hybrids.

The Comet is a sex linked hybrid of white rock and new hampshire. In theory, they start laying faster than essentially anything else, its easy to ensure you only select hens for your flocks, they are moderately small birds taking up little space, and they pop a medium egg almost every day once they start laying.

Those are the plus column.

Minus?

They have a productive life of about 1 1/2 - 2 years, rarely go broody, are useless as breed stock as a hybrid, aren't really good for anything but lots of medium eggs, and tend to die early. "Comet" because their life blazes across the skies at high speed, and then they are gone, burnt out.

Due to COVID, I had little choice in birds when starting my flock this year.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Update!!!

Got my first egg yesterday (we had visitors, very busy day, didn't get to do all I wanted thus the delayed posting).

Cream, Pronounced Oval shape, approx 2.5" in length +/- 1/16", and weighing in at 2.4 oz. One of my birds dropped it on the path half way between the door to the coop and the gate out of the run. Didn't see it happen, no idea which bird did it.

This morning, came out to let them free range, found another egg, this time under the coop (yay for a 3' floor?). Same color, same shape, but this time 2" in length, maybe plus a 1/16" (using a tape measure, forgive the inaccuracies), 1.7 oz in weight.

I do have fake (brown) eggs in the nesting boxes, which still aren't being used by whomever has started laying - but then, I expected to see brown eggs from my layers first.

The flock composition is listed in my Sig, but no ages, so....

Pekin Ducks, ages 21 weeks and 17 weeks. Eggs are the right color, but undersized, and approx a month early for the range of "expected" egg laying. These probably aren't the culprits.

Cornish X hens, age 21 weeks. Data on these as layers isn't consistent, but I didn't expect them to be laying for another month, and expected **brown** eggs. Maybe I'm wrong?

Golden Comets, ages 17 weeks. Right in the middle of their expected egg laying range, first egg seems too big, second egg about right, but I expected **brown** based on all the references. This ain't they, is it???

Hoover Hatchery Rainbows, age 21 weeks. Start of their expected laying range is just a few days away, so not out of the question. However, Hoover Hatchery describes these as having Brown eggs. Size seems right (although again, not much documentation), and my "Rainbows" share a lot of markings with both the RHR (except leg color) and the Buff Orp - both of whom lay large to XL **brown** eggs.

Dark Brahma, age 17 weeks. Approx six weeks early for laying eggs based on published ranges, medium to large eggs fits the second, not the first, and again... **Brown** eggs based on the charts.

SLWs - just bought them last week, months till eggs, but when the time comes... **brown**

So, I'm a bit confused. No bird is running into my property, dropping white eggs, then disappearing. Are "under-pigmented" egg shells normal in new layers, just as smaller eggs tend to be, or should I be paying more attention to my Pekin ducks as I start inspecting my girls to see who (singular or plural) has begun to gift us with breakfast?

 

[aart]

Are "under-pigmented" egg shells normal in new layers, just as smaller eggs tend to be,

Possible.

or should I be paying more attention to my Pekin ducks as I start inspecting my girls to see who (singular or plural) has begun to gift us with breakfast?

Always good and perfect time to start some exams of pelvic bones and vents.
Not sure how/if the chicken pelvic bone spacing work on ducks...butt(haha) I would assume it similar.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Additional updates/Info -

I've checked the Pelvics for the two CornishX hens. Both are three fingers' width, one is DEFINITELY wet ("red"). I'm going to say that was today's egg.

Also checked my four Pekin hens. Two are two fingers ("orange" and "yellow", two are three fingers ("red", and "green"). What I'm reading says 3-4 fingers width for duck pelvic checks, and neither are wet, so... I'm still at a bit of a loss.

Yesterday's egg was a double yolk. Apparently, that's more frequent in young birds, and there's a tendency to be a bit larger, so... there's still a bit of a mystery out there. I may never know.

(for those counting, yes, I have too many drakes - making room for them in the chill chest, fast as I can)