First Egg Countdown

[Happy Chooks]

I don't think you will have to wait til spring, but the age they gave you is wrong. They look about 15 weeks old in those pictures. Give or take a couple weeks. So, you have a bit if a wait yet.

 

[Twinklin]

Wonder if anyone has any ideas about age or point of lay for these two girls.
They are two started pullets I received from Murray McMurray in mid July. Supposedly they were 16-20 weeks then. I had my doubts... They were both in awful condition then, starved and nearly bald on their backs and tails. Now they are looking much healthier and have tails again.
Neither is laying yet, one is an EE and the other is a cuckoo marans.
Do they look close, or will it probably not happen until Spring? I have six other hens, so I don't mind a wait, just feeling very lost about their age.

I have a RIR and an EE that have had similar looking size and combs to your girls and they have looked that way from about 16 weeks and still do at 21 weeks. So they could be anywhere from 4 months to 6 months, maybe even older. I think it really depends on the chicken. That's sad that they were in poor condition, I will say around 17-18 weeks a couple of my pullets lost their tails completely because of juvenile molt and are just now growing them back in so that could be normal but if they looked starved that's another story.

 

[LadyCluck77]

Thanks HappyChooks and Twinklin,
I also think that Murray McMurray claims the birds are 16 weeks and then sends 6-8 week olds, because they still peeped when I first got them! I called the hatchery and told them, but they argued the birds appear small "because they're fed organic feed". I didn't really believe that, but I felt so bad for those two that I didn't want to put them through anything else, decided to keep them and try to give them a nice life.

Those pictures were taken yesterday. I might post a "before" just to show how awful they looked. Particularly the Marans. Back in July when they came, they were so thin the keelbones were protruding, both seemed to have never been outside, and they were completely frightened of people. The bald areas looked like feathers had been picked out- scabs and such. The nails in their feet were overgrown like they were in cages and couldn't scratch like a normal chicken. They've gotten much fluffier, weightier and more relaxed, but they still don't trust me like my other hand-raised chickens. They still seem nervous, though they are much less frightened than they used to be.
When I ordered them, I had no idea what hatcheries were like- now that I've done a lot of reading about those conditions I'm planning on only getting birds from local breeders.

 

[mckenzy]

Curious: everyone says their eggs got bigger after a bit. I can honestly say that B2s eggs have been exactly the same size. It's actually kind of interesting that what begins as a very maliable squishy thing, can remain the same size from egg to egg.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Curious: everyone says their eggs got bigger after a bit. I can honestly say that B2s eggs have been exactly the same size. It's actually kind of interesting that what begins as a very maliable squishy thing, can remain the same size from egg to egg.

Unless you weigh them, you will likely not notice an increase in size. It's such a gradual process that you don't see it. Also, eggs can get a lot bigger after their first adult molt.

 

[Sharon Bee]

Mine are slowly getting bigger. One was a double yolk. Today 8 eggs in one nest!! They are not quite 5 mths old.

 

[kpsocalchicks89]

Mine are slowly getting bigger. One was a double yolk. Today 8 eggs in one nest!! They are not quite 5 mths old.

Lucky!!! My 25-28 weekend should be laying any day now someone is messing around in the nesting boxes though

 

[SixFizzle]

Egg number 2 today! It's slightly bigger and more egg shaped and this one was in the nest box! Yay smart chicken who is finally laying. Hoping the other two start soon!

 

[imogene08]

2nd egg from my buff orph Matilda!! So happy she started to lay! Her first egg was tiny today's was a bit bigger only way I can tell which is which to my SLW is she lays a glossier egg then her and a slight color difference oh and both different boxes! Her egg song is quite small but with the help of our roo sure to hear it!

compared to my Australorps egg

 

[Twinklin]

Yay Lil' Phil! My second egg layer.



Phillie's egg compared to Onyxia's first egg that was laid last week (Phil's on left)



and compared to Onyxia's 7th egg laid today (Phil's on left)



Ony's first one had a lot of white speckling that has since been lost, I'm assuming Phil's will lose that white speckling too but I may be able to tell them apart as it looks like Phils will be a lighter pinker brown than Ony's. We'll see in a week or so.