New to backyard chickens, egg laying help

[Crocco7]

Hey my orpingtons are only 16weeks old and one produced a soft pink like egg that cracked. There was 2 eggs that I found this morning, everywhere online says this is to soon for egg laying to start. Any suggestions? I have 4 orpingtons and 2 of them have red combs and the other 2 do not, can I switch feed?

 

[Mamatomany123]

Those arent orpingtons. I think they're sex links and it's normal for them to lay at 16-18weeks. But they would lay brown eggs, not pink. Maybe it was a light brown egg. If all are not laying then dont give layer feed. Since I dont have all layers I feed all flock and have oyster shells on the side for my layers.

 

[sourland]

Those are red sex links not Orpingtons - that helps to explain the early egg laying. I would start the transition to laying feed.

 

[WVduckchick]

Oyster shell on the side, switch to layer with your next bag of feed.

 

[Crocco7]

Thanks for getting back to me! I was very nervous the fact there were 2 soft shelled eggs and only one of them looks ready. So this probably isn’t stress related? Also they are from tractor supply and I was almost 100% sure they were orpingtons. I will post a better photo maybe that’s why they look different.

 

[Crocco7]

This was them one month ago and now 2 of them have full red combs.

 

[Mamatomany123]

This was them one month ago and now 2 of them have full red combs.

Sex links. Heres mine. Mine are only 7 weeks old but you can see the coloring is the same. 100% not orpingtons.

 

[ijatiyeh]

Hey my orpingtons are only 16weeks old and one produced a soft pink like egg that cracked. There was 2 eggs that I found this morning, everywhere online says this is to soon for egg laying to start. Any suggestions? I have 4 orpingtons and 2 of them have red combs and the other 2 do not, can I switch feed?

 

[ijatiyeh]

I also have sexlink and they started laying as well....only two are laying and I have two small eggs a day but I have 6 chickens. I usually get them around same time one around 9am one around 1pm but today I found the one on the ground not in the nesting area? Not sure If this is normal or not or it’s because my boyfriend and I kept checking and interrupting them ? Any ideas?

 

[Crocco7]

Right! I hope this is normal for a new cycling hen and there is definitely only one hen squating when I go near her. The other problem is she laid these new eggs high on the outdoor roost. I have not been able to get the chicks in at night so I leave the coop door open that is connected to the run where this happened. Any advice on how to get her in the nesting box? I’ve tried the light method and food to lure them in at night and nothing is working.