Hen laying early, a few questions...

[iamthejake2000]

Hello all,

So I'm raising eight chickens which I bought as chicks 13 weeks ago, and I didn't expect any eggs until a month or two from now, but yesterday I found the first egg. Is this normal? It was small and had a very delicate shell, which I suppose makes sense since they aren't getting much calcium (they're on medicated Purina Start & Grow).

Some of the chickens have full combs and wattles, and others hardly have the beginnings of these yet. Should I switch them to an unmedicated laying feed? When will they have flushed out the amprolium so the eggs are safe to eat?

Also, as I said the egg had a very delicate shell. When I found it, it had a small hole in it (from a beak or foot I guess) and a little bit of the white had come out onto the floor. If a chicken tried eating it, it didn't enjoy it much. I cleaned all the egg white off the floor of the coop and replaced all the surrounding straw. Any advice here?

Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've never heard of one laying that young but they are living animals. Anything is possible. I have had them lay as early as 16 weeks.

According to Purina, there is no withdrawal time for the eggs if you are feeding a medicated feed medicated with Amprolium. Personally I’d feel uncomfortable eating eggs with them still on Amprolium, but that is just me.

What I’d suggest is that you switch to an unmedicated feed and offer oyster shells on the side. The ones that need it for the shells should seek it out and the others should not eat enough to harm themselves. Many of us that seem to always have young chickens with the flock never feed Layer but go this route.

 

[iamthejake2000]

So I guess a couple of hens are at laying age and checking out nesting spots... I just lifted the lid of the nesting boxes and saw one of the chickens in there! Is this going to scare her and keep her from using the box?

 

[troy4]

Hello all,

So I'm raising eight chickens which I bought as chicks 13 weeks ago, and I didn't expect any eggs until a month or two from now, but yesterday I found the first egg. Is this normal? It was small and had a very delicate shell, which I suppose makes sense since they aren't getting much calcium (they're on medicated Purina Start & Grow).

Some of the chickens have full combs and wattles, and others hardly have the beginnings of these yet. Should I switch them to an unmedicated laying feed? When will they have flushed out the amprolium so the eggs are safe to eat?

Also, as I said the egg had a very delicate shell. When I found it, it had a small hole in it (from a beak or foot I guess) and a little bit of the white had come out onto the floor. If a chicken tried eating it, it didn't enjoy it much. I cleaned all the egg white off the floor of the coop and replaced all the surrounding straw. Any advice here?

Thanks!

We;ll probably just aq practice round nothing real.

 

[misskris10]

I've never heard of one laying that young but they are living animals. Anything is possible. I have had them lay as early as 16 weeks.

According to Purina, there is no withdrawal time for the eggs if you are feeding a medicated feed medicated with Amprolium. Personally I’d feel uncomfortable eating eggs with them still on Amprolium, but that is just me.

What I’d suggest is that you switch to an unmedicated feed and offer oyster shells on the side. The ones that need it for the shells should seek it out and the others should not eat enough to harm themselves. Many of us that seem to always have young chickens with the flock never feed Layer but go this route.

What do you mean that "Many of us that seem to always have young chickens with the flock never feed Layer but go this route."?

I have older chickens who are getting to laying age, but i also have 4 chicks in with them(EE and black australorps) that are about 3-4 weeks younger that will not lay as soon. Should i just keep the chickens on grower/finisher and not go on to layer feed? and then offer shells for the chickens who need it? We were wondering about layer feed with the rooster, he wouldn't need layer food, but how else would you separate feed? We also have 7 other various chicks that we just got, anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months, that are in a quarantine area until we know they are free from disease. But the young 4 week olds will not be ready for layer when we move them with the bigger chickens. do we need to build a grow out pen to hold all the young girls until laying age?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I always feed starter or grower to the entire flock and offer oyster shell on the side. It's been years since I bought any Layer.