Hens have been laying for 2 1/2 months, eggs are still small/medium

[P & Q Ranch]

We have 8 Rhode Island Reds and they started laying 2 1/2 months ago. The eggs are laid every day but are still small to medium size. I was under the impression that RIR's laid large to extra large eggs. Is it because they are still young or do we need to give them something extra. They are eating crumble layer food and free range the yard in the day for bugs and grass. All summer I have been giving them treats of cold watermelon and cold home-grown bananas as we live in S. Florida and it has been brutally hot!! When can we expect large to X Large eggs?

Thanks
Shirley & Nelson Decker
P & Q Ranch

 

[mtnhomechick]

I used to have RIR's and they never laid a large egg. I was very disappointed in them.

LARGE eggs=RSL or BA's.

 

[Hennyhandler]

Oh my gosh, I have RIR's as well and they just started laying, like maybe 2 weeks ago. I wa sunder the impression that they were going to lay large eggs too. I have been waiting to see if they get bigger. Mine are medium sized as well. Now this has got me wondering...

 

[Scoop]

Interesting. I have RIRs that laid medium sized eggs but went to large fairly quickly. All their eggs are large now. Could it be the stress of the heat?

 

[kenman]

My RIR's started with medium sized also for the first 2-3 months. Now at a year old they are laying med.-large eggs. They are good consistent layers but they don't have the jumbo large. My buff Orpingtons usually lay larger eggs then the RIR's. I'm assuming yours, like mine, are hatchery stock or pullets that are not too far removed from hatchery stock. This means that medium egg production probably has to do with their genetics more than anything else. Hatcheries want parent stock that lays consistently and may have to give up egg size to a certain extent to get it. My point is that if you want large eggs consistently, you may have to work your way into it. Look for people who have RIR stock that lay consistent large-ex. large eggs and hatch your own or purchase pullets from them. Hope this helps.

 

[Hennyhandler]

Just lately my chickens eggs have started getting bigger. They aren't jumbo or anything but they are bigger than medium. (My chickens are RIR's.)