Egg Size

[patbhoy]

Hi, I'm new to keeping chickens and will be on here asking all sorts of silly questions, as the old saying goes, if you dont ask you'll never know.

I got myself a coop, run and four Isa Warren chickens, they are all laying well but the eggs are small.
What I would like to know is, will the eggs get larger as the chickens mature or will they only ever lay small eggs.

My chickens are around 20wks old at the moment.

 

[gritsar]

Hi and welcome to BYC!
If the hens have just started laying you can look forward to the eggs getting bigger with time.
Ask all the questions you want, silly or otherwise. That's what makes this a great forum.

 

[patbhoy]

Quote:
Hi, Thanks for your reply and the welcome.

Ok, next silly question. Should i put the chickens food and water in the coop overnight as i normally keep it in the run thru the day.

 

[schellie69]

I just leave the food in the pen when they coop at night they don't usually eat, and if you lock them in a coop just let them out in the morning to eat, right now the coop is in the pen so they are locked in a secure pen and there is enough food in there until I get out in the morning. when we get their new coop built I will probably put in a feeder and water bowl just because they might not want to stay in the coop during the bad winter right now their coop is small but we are working on a bigger one. but if the coop is just were the roost and lay eggs, and they are out in the pen most of the time I don't think you will have to put food in there coop unless you leave them locked in there for some time like bad weather ect.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Hi, Thanks for your reply and the welcome.

Ok, next silly question. Should i put the chickens food and water in the coop overnight as i normally keep it in the run thru the day.

My flock free ranges, so they only visit the coop during the day to lay their eggs and to be locked in at night.
I keep food and water in my coop and several other waterers outside.
We are day sleepers, so on a good day my chickens get let out at 9 AM or later. Unlike myself, my chickens are up at the break of dawn and hungry. They stuff their faces while I am still snoozing.
The primary reason I wouldn't leave food in the run overnight (if I had a run) is because it can attract pests and predators to the feed.

 

[patbhoy]

Quote:
Hi, Thanks for your reply and the welcome.

Ok, next silly question. Should i put the chickens food and water in the coop overnight as i normally keep it in the run thru the day.

My flock free ranges, so they only visit the coop during the day to lay their eggs and to be locked in at night.
I keep food and water in my coop and several other waterers outside.
We are day sleepers, so on a good day my chickens get let out at 9 AM or later. Unlike myself, my chickens are up at the break of dawn and hungry. They stuff their faces while I am still snoozing.
The primary reason I wouldn't leave food in the run overnight (if I had a run) is because it can attract pests and predators to the feed.

The hens are free to roam the garden and forage thru the day and only use the coop to lay and sleep (quite like us humans in the bedroom lol) there is layers meal and water for them in the run, should that be enough for them without the need to put food and water in the coop.
I open the coop first thing in the morning till dusk.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My set-up is a little different. I can't let them roam because they like to play in the road, so they are normally locked in the run and coop. I keep food and water in the run and in the coop. They clearly prefer the food in the run. I have to fill it up more often. When I let them out in the morning, several run to the outside feeder like they are starving, yet they have a feeder in the coop. I just think they are all different and fully deserve to be called birdbrains.

Some people do not like to feed outside in the run. They feel they are feeding more wild birds that their chickens. I have yet to see a wild bird in my outside feeder but I know others do have that problem. Wild birds can also bring in diseases and parasites. Others don't like to feed in the coop as the birds spend too much time in the coop and increase the poop load that has to be managed. As far as food, just do what you are most happy with. The chickens will adjust either way.

If you kept them in later than you do, I'd suggest having water in the coop. It really does not hurt them to go a short time without food, but I do think they need water when they first wake up. Of course, the ones of mine that don't run to the food when I first let them out run to the waterer, although there is water in the coop. Birdbrains!!!