possible egg laying at 10 weeks?

[mener6896]

I recently started getting several small eggs along with my large ones. I have 10 week old cochin cross hens that have been in the coop for a few weeks (along with my year old hens). Is it possible for them to be laying so early? I would find it hard for my year olds to just start laying small eggs since they've been laying extra large for so long, but I can't explain it. Another possibility could be the older hens going through moult? do their egg sizes get smaller? I'm not sure if they are but some do have a few bare spots, not really a full on feather loss... hmmmm?

 

[feathersnuggles]

Tis the season for broodiness right now. You might have some going broody. ?? They often sport a bare patch on their chest/belly area. Anyway, my recent broody's eggs got increasingly smaller, the broodier she got. Until she laid her final TEENSY egg and then stopped laying. Once I broke her broodiness, she didn't lay for 8 days. When she resumed laying they got bigger again.

 

[mener6896]

that's possible since I have a few that are trying to gather up eggs and sit. I usually gather eggs once a day and they've got a good 6-7 under them. How do you break broodiness?

 

[bethandjoeync]

keep the eggs picked up, and take the girl out of the nest when you can. also, you can block the nests at night so they can't get in and get comfy. also you mess up the nest, and that can make them not want to set. good luck

 

[feathersnuggles]

Pull them off the nest at night and put them on the roost. Cool night air under the roost, and under them, can help break the broodiness. Letting them sit on the nest at night, IMO, just keeps the broody fever burning hot.

ETA: when you put them on the roost at night, make sure it's too dark for them to find their way back to the nest. I did that with my broody, and I broke most of her broodiness in one night. After that, she only returned to the nest at bedtime, and I just removed her for a few more nights, until I saw she was roosting with the other birds at dusk, by herself.