how big are they when they start laying?

[sydney13]

i have 6 pullets who are all about 4 and a half months old. a week ago my barred rock started laying eggs and we have been getting a egg a day from her

so i was wondering, when they start laying eggs are they full size or pretty close to being full size? i know that barred rocks are supposed to be 7 to 8 lbs. but mine is only four and all my others chickens are around that size too? so is it normal for them to be pretty small when they start laying?

 

[HorizonSon]

I would say, "Yes."

From reading and limited experience: they will not come into full maturity until they are 1.5~2 years of age. That makes it tricky, especially for cockerals, for choosing your keepers for future generations... However; they seem to be quite close to their final weight by end of their first year... seemingly so...

 

[vetgirl00us]

I've heard about 21 weeks they start laying and cockerels don't mature til about 18 months. Sure it could either way though. Some of my bantam breeds seem to mature much faster than my standard large breeds.