Oyster shell...we finally got an egg!

[progressivehomesteader]

It is possible that oyster shell works this fast?! If so, I feel like a big dummy! lol. My girls are 24 weeks and we just got our first egg! I started them with oyster shell yesterday and the egg was laid today in their run. I cannot tell you how excited I am. We've got a flock of 8 and had not gotten one egg. I knew they needed the oyster shell but I guess I was just being lazy, and we chocked it up to shorter/cooler days here on Long Island. Literally put the oyster shell out yesterday morning and we got an egg 26 hours later. WOW.

 

[charlie1051]

It could be the oyster shell or it could be that your girls were ready to rock and roll!

I have pullets that are 26 weeks old and just starting to lay. In the past, I've had breeds start laying at 20 weeks and some not start until 27-28 weeks. I'm not into the sex-link varieties but I hear they can lay as early as 16 weeks.

It can feel like an eternity waiting on that 1st egg. Congrats

 

[TooCheep]

No. Assuming they are healthy, then the oyster shell/laying is strictly coincidence. Young layers (even on the wrong feed) will have plenty of calcium in their bones that they will use for laying until they lose too much and then they will produce thin/no-shell eggs.

Feeding them layer feed (which has higher calcium) and/or supplying with oyster shell is how you keep up their calcium levels so that they can remain healthy and still produce healthy egg shells.

Enjoy the new egg.