FIRST EGG!!! WHO DONE IT????

[RunnerChick]

Hey. I found my first egg today! Yay. BIG QUESTION...who done it? I have 10 chicks (all sexed as pullets and appear to be accurately so) from MPC that were 1 day old when I got them. I KNOW they are only 16 weeks old this past Monday. The breeds are: 3 EE, 1 Barred Rock, 1 tiny Silkie, 1 GLW, 4 Red Stars. I got 5 additional chicks (also sexed as pullets apparently correctly) at a local farm store...they were MAX 1 week older than the MPC chicks, but probably within a few days of the same age...so MAX 17 weeks on Monday. They are 2 BR, 2 Buff Orps, and 1 "Ameracauna" aka EE.

I got 3 Silkies from a friend who thought they were within 1 week of my others but wasn't sure. They all crow, but 1 has a distinctly weak crow and is much more docile. I've suspected "he" could yet be a she. Okay, I HOPE. But the bird DOES crow. These are the only ones I'm not as sure of age-wise.

The egg was laid in the "Silkie corner" where the Silkies all pile up. We haven't put the nest boxes in yet...were planning on doing it this weekend....

The egg is brown with dark spots. It is about 1.5 in long and maybe 1 in or so wide. Fits easily in my palm (I'm a small woman).

ANY thoughts on who laid this? Is 16 or 17 weeks too young? Is this size distinctive? I know it's not definitive, but all of my EEs have blue legs and pea combs, suggesting they have the blue egg gene.

Thanks for any thoughts. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough, but I wasn't expecting eggs for at least another couple of weeks, if not longer! I don't even have them on a layer feed yet! Do I need to convert ASAP??? They are on a grower feed right now.

 

[Den in Penn]

I would suspect the silkies, your not really sure of their age. They will be fine on the grower. Put out a calcium supplement so the ones laying can use it if needed.

 

[RunnerChick]

Thanks for the input! I was just so sure my friend gave me 3 roos! The two Silkies from her are DEFINITELY, NO QUESTION roos. There is a third Silkie, though, that despite crowing (weakly, wimpy), acts and looks different from the two definite roos. I didn't think he/she'd be the first to lay, though. My MPC Silkie is too tiny, there is NO WAY this huge egg came from her (it's not really huge, but compared to her it is). So that leaves either one of the 16-17 week old girls, who I KNOW their ages and KNOW they are girls. Or the Silkie who has been a bit amorphous in sex. I appreciate any other thoughts on whether the 16-17 week olds can lay, but from what I've read, it's much more likely for them to lay 18-20 weeks or even up to 25 weeks before they start laying. So, I agree, most likely candidate is the mysterious Silkie...who I was SURE was a boy. Well, sort of sure.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

red star...mine laid their first eggs at 16 weeks

 

[RunnerChick]

Thanks...I thought that was a possibility. One Red Star is looking fairly mature, and I know they are good layers.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

look for the one with the reddest and biggest comb and wattles..that will be your layer

 

[RunnerChick]

I should not have been worried that I wouldn't know who laid the egg. She's back at it again this morning!

And the winner is.....the Red Star with the biggest, reddest comb and wattles!

Thanks all, for your replies. Eggs at 16 weeks, woooohoooo!

 

[chickenlover89]

Thanks for the input! I was just so sure my friend gave me 3 roos! The two Silkies from her are DEFINITELY, NO QUESTION roos. There is a third Silkie, though, that despite crowing (weakly, wimpy), acts and looks different from the two definite roos. I didn't think he/she'd be the first to lay, though. My MPC Silkie is too tiny, there is NO WAY this huge egg came from her (it's not really huge, but compared to her it is). So that leaves either one of the 16-17 week old girls, who I KNOW their ages and KNOW they are girls. Or the Silkie who has been a bit amorphous in sex. I appreciate any other thoughts on whether the 16-17 week olds can lay, but from what I've read, it's much more likely for them to lay 18-20 weeks or even up to 25 weeks before they start laying. So, I agree, most likely candidate is the mysterious Silkie...who I was SURE was a boy. Well, sort of sure.

so if there is already one or two roosters in the flock, roosters can "turn themselves into hens" and they will crow, but lay eggs also...(that isn't very common though, but i have seen it twice before)

 

[RunnerChick]

Interesting. When I was originally trying to figure out the sex of these Silkies, I read somewhere that it can be REALLY difficult and someone even said they'd had a pullet crow before she laid an egg. The only reason this one is in question, is that she was raised with these two boys, amongst a few other "clutch" mates (if that is the right term?). I brought them to my house when they were probably 8-10 weeks-ish. Since they'd been in a cage-type enclosure, they were a little overwhelmed in the free-range environment. They stuck together like the 3 Musketeers. I figured it was possible that the third just crowed because her brothers did. But she could also be a boy with a wimpy crow. Either way, it is the friendliest from that batch and I love him or her regardless. I told my husband if the other boys start really picking on him, I'm going to make him a house chicken. Yeah. He was not thrilled with that idea!

 

[RunnerChick]

So is it acceptable to go ahead and give all my 16-17 week old girls oyster shell? That was my plan until they finish this bag of feed, at which point I'll put them on a layer feed.