Hens laying early and small.....?

[fishmanwill]

Good evening, we have a olive egger(ameraucana and maran) and a French black copper maran that started laying already. They were both born on 4/7/15. The olive egger started laying 3 weeks ago, her eggs are a nice color but they are extremely small. They are smaller then the eggs that our Cochin bantams lay. She lays for 3 days then a day off and 3 days again, so she is a great layer. The maran started laying 2 weeks ago and the same thing her eggs are small and she is laying just as well. The eggs have been consistent size on both hens there has been no size change since they started.

Will they get larger eggs as they go or will they stay small since the have been consistent and they are laying so many? If they will get bigger about how long does it take for them to lay larger eggs. All our other hens from last year started laying large eggs from the beginning. Thanks

I just want to see if the eggs will get bigger. Thank you.

 

[junebuggena]

It will take a few months, but those eggs will gradually get bigger. They will also get a bit bigger after each molt. However, they might never be as big as grocery store eggs.

 

[aart]

That is early for those breeds.....about 16 weeks?.....very early.
Have you weighed them....got a kitchen scale?...would be curious as to the gram weight.

Took my best hybrid pullet 4 months last summer to get up to a consistent large egg (57g) and she started at 19 weeks.
She is a cross between amberlink(high production hybrid) and EE.

 

[Donkeysfly]

SO WEIRD, I was just searching site because I have 16.5 week old sexlinks and my first egg last night! I was in shock! I have never had a hen lay eggs so early! Anyone else know why they would lay so early and will it adversely affect their long term health?

 

[aart]

SO WEIRD, I was just searching site because I have 16.5 week old sexlinks and my first egg last night! I was in shock! I have never had a hen lay eggs so early! Anyone else know why they would lay so early and will it adversely affect their long term health?

16 weeks is not unusual for the hybird sexlinked birds, they are crossed to be high production birds.....
......but they frequently will not lay much past 2-3 years old.

 

[Clousic Chicks]

We have two sexlinks, both 18 weeks, and neither have started laying. The black sexlink is close...real close...the golden sexlink is a long ways off. Our barred rock started laying last week! She also turned 18 weeks old yesterday! What's interesting is our white plymouth rock has pretty well developed comb and wattles but nothing so far...All of our birds are 18 weeks...it's intersting to watch their combs and wattles develop. Our barred rock now loves us to hold her and actually closes her eyes as we stroke her neck and back. I'm really hoping that it what will happen to the rest of them as they start laying!

 

[fishmanwill]

I just weighed the eggs from today. The small olive egger egg weighs 33g and the maran egg is 38g. They are still laying consistently. I will just wait to see if they hopefully get larger. Thanks.