New Layers!

[Dadx6]

Greetings all,

I've been lurking around the site since I started thinking about having a backyard flock. I have 3 Rhode Island Whites and 3 Black Australorps. They've been fun to watch grow. They truly have unique personalities.

They were all hatched on or approximately March 5th. The three RIW's are all similar size and maturity. One, our friendliest that we've named Casper, has a comb that's starting to redden up a bit. The BA's, however, are at various stages of maturity. Two are equal in size as the others, but hardly have a comb at all. One has a very pronounced comb that is now deep red.

On Saturday, July 1st, we got our first egg. I'm 99% sure it was the mature BA. This would put her at just under 17 weeks old. To no surprise it was probably 3/4 the size I expect she'll be laying later on, but my question is how often should I expect a new layer to lay? I know she's young and I expect laying to be intermittent for a little while, but what is "normal"?

Thanks in advance!
Chad

 

[Chickiemom25]

my girls are about 18 weeks and I am getting I think an egg every other day from those laying, although like yours they are small. I have 8 girls and at most have gotten 4 eggs in a day but I saw one girl carrying off a fart egg the same day so that means I have at least 5 of 8 laying. In general I seem to get whites one day and browns the next ( go figure) the girls are split 50/50 egg color.... It will be interesting to see how many tonight when I get home. Adding an Olive egger and an easter egger to the group but they are almost a year old and should be laying almost daily. Different breeds have different lay rates as well. the RI should lay about 250 a year. i don't know about the others. Within a month I expect my girls to be laying pretty regularly. Check below roosting poles for soft shell eggs. I tend to be getting at least one before the first hard egg,

 

[azygous]

With new layers, there is no "normal". Each is unique. You're correct in assuming it may be sporadic at first. Size, intervals between eggs, even where the eggs may turn up, all cannot be predicted.

Each pullet will develop her own "normal".

 

[aart]

..or it could be real regular at first, and then get erratic.

Chickens can be consistently inconsistent!

 

[Dadx6]

Well these birds are full of surprises. I let them out of the run and into the yard to enjoy some oatmeal my kids didn't finish. All but one came a runnin'. I peeked in the nest box and one of the RIWs was camped out in there. When I saw her a bit later I checked the box and a still-warm egg was sitting there. So, while I thought for sure one of the BAs was the first to give us eggs, it could be one of the RIWs. Maybe it's both, but I have a feeling it's just the one for now.