Egg size

[Saveria]

Mine just started after winter

Typically hens will lay some small eggs whenever they start laying for the first time or start up again. You will most likely see yours go back up in size once a week or few have passed.

 

[Bruthabuz]

That's very common if they are new to laying. The very first egg I got was 17 grams.

I'm kind of new to raising chickens. Does that mean the eggs get bigger as the chickens grow older? Mine are almost five months old and are laying tiny eggs when they are supposed to be L to XL. Thanks for the comment!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm kind of new to raising chickens. Does that mean the eggs get bigger as the chickens grow older? Mine are almost five months old and are laying tiny eggs when they are supposed to be L to XL. Thanks for the comment!

5 months (20 weeks) is still young.. typically the eggs *should* be full size by *approximately* 40 weeks of age. noting not all will meet their breed standard.. and some sex link types may start large.

 

[Saveria]

Yes, they should get bigger, but I have found there can be a lot of variation in the size that a hen will produce, even day to day.

 

[Bruthabuz]

Right now, I have two very dim lights (11 watts) in each of the coops. Should I leave them on at night or turn them off? Or get brighter (not heat, it's hot enough already!) lights? The coops are 4'w x 8'l x 2'h, 32 square feet each. Both are adequately ventilated. BTW, thanks for the responses to my egg size question. They were very helpful!

 

[Saveria]

Is there a reason to have the lights? Is it to increase laying?

I usually use no artificial light if I can help it. I prefer that they go with their own natural rhythms. The big windows on our coop let in enough light. Maybe your vents are under the eaves?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Right now, I have two very dim lights (11 watts) in each of the coops. Should I leave them on at night or turn them off?

Chickens should not have lights on 24/7. Just like humans they get better quality sleep with darkness at night.

 

[Bruthabuz]

Is there a reason to have the lights? Is it to increase laying?

I usually use no artificial light if I can help it. I prefer that they go with their own natural rhythms. The big windows on our coop let in enough light. Maybe your vents are under the eaves?

I just didn't know if it made any difference. One of our coops has a monitor-style roof with the vents upstairs under the eaves on each side. Some of the chickens like to roost on the bracing. The other coop is just a rectangular box with several vent holes drilled on each end. It has a shelf halfway between the bottom and top to create two levels for the nesting boxes. That's the coop they use most for laying eggs, always on the top level.

I was kind of leaning toward leaving the lights off at night so the chickens get used to the day/night cycle. They already know to come in when it starts to get dark. We are not close to any artificial light, so it's pretty much pitch black at night. How well can chickens see in the dark? Like cats?

Chickens should not have lights on 24/7. Just like humans they get better quality sleep with darkness at night.

With them so young, I thought they might be like young children, afraid of the dark, so you have to leave a night light on! Just kidding! I will leave them off! Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

How well can chickens see in the dark?

They can't. Very poor eyesight in the dark, which is why they should be in and roosted by the time night falls.

With them so young, I thought they might be like young children, afraid of the dark, so you have to leave a night light on! Just kidding! I will leave them off!

They may be upset at first to lose the light if they're used to it, but at no age do they need it at night. I have provided zero added light to my last two batch of chicks, and they learn that first night to crawl under their heating pad as dusk comes.