Pullet laying patterns - what is normal?

[walterd]

We are on our first experience with BYC and enjoying it very much! We got our chicks at the beginning of March (3 barred plymouth rocks; 3 Wellsummers - 1 Wellsummer turned out to be a roo) and they are now about 16 weeks old. We got our first egg 10 days ago.

We are not sure who is laying. Several of the hens enter the coop during the day and seem to do a bit of fussing around then exit. Sometimes they take turns, sometimes more than one is there at a time.

We've recieved one egg each day for the past 10 days. Most have been small pullet eggs (1 oz in size), though the last couple have been closer to 1.25 oz. On days 2, 5, and 8 we got pretty normal sized eggs, all of which turned out to be double yolks. At first we assumed that more than one hen must be laying but now we are not so sure. Can someone clarify what the laying pattern is when hen's first start laying? Specifically:

When pullets start laying is it common to get egg production on such a regular basis (every day, and about the same time each morning)? I would think they would somewhat ramp up; maybe an egg here and there (1-2 per week) gradually increasing over time.

Is it possible for one pullet to be laying both the large and small eggs? We'd assumed not, but if the egg size right now is driven by the number of yolks rather than the maturity of the bird I guess it could be.

If this does sound like more than one hen laying does it seem unusual that we are grossing such a regular 1/egg/day pattern? This seemed feasible for the first few, but the pattern has maintained for 10 days now. I would have though we'd get a day here or there with zero or 2.

Any help is appreciated. I've not been able to find any details on pullet laying patterns anywhere - just that they start small and are generally full sized in a month or two. Nothing on frequency or how egg size varies over that time period.

Thanks!
Derek

 

[Bridget399]

I hope somebody posts! I'm curious... Mine will be laying any day now!

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

I have a leghorn who started laying about 8 days ago and hasn't broken the cycle yet. She is the only one in 17 to start laying.

 

[RGEISENDORF]

ya me too. I got one yesterday (i think from my RIR) and today nothing. I think my Leghorn is a dud! Her comb is red, she squats everytime I get near her and - nothing. Yep, pretty sure shes a dud.

 

[walterd]

Today we (somewhat) broke the pattern as far as large/double yolk eggs go. We had our 11th consecutive data of single egg production, but today was a "normal" pullet egg at 1.25oz. The morning is young yet so we'll see if the rest of the day brings anything else, but so far the laying pattern continues to be a mystery.

 

[Judy]

If you really want to know, lock them in the nest box til they lay, or hang around when you hear the egg song til someone lays (I've done the latter a few times; really didn't take that long.)

They are more erratic when they first start. The same hen could well be laying the double yolkers and smaller single ones; usually a double yolked egg is larger. I have always guessed they are a "burp" in the machinery and really two eggs combined into one, though I don't know that.

The general pattern is that the egg cycle is about 26 hours long, or maybe it's 28, I forget. I have one hen who read the book. She lays a bit later each day til she lays one almost at dusk, then she skips a day, then starts again early in the morning, and so forth. No doubt whose egg it is because the others lay a different color.

Which brings up another thought: your Wellies should lay a much darker egg than your BR's. Should. You won't know til they do.

Rgeisendorf, your RIR will lay a brown egg and your Leghorn a white one. Don't give up on the Leghorn yet; some of us are just late bloomers.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. It is possible for one pullet to lay every day. I had one that layed every day about the same time in the same nest box. Also double yokers were quite common in the beginning. I get them every once in awhile now. Some will lay then nothing for a couple of days or so. They are all so different.

 

[cmom]

Here are some good site on egg laying and other facts.

http://gworrell.freeyellow.com/chickenfaq.html
http://urbanchickens.org/frequently-asked-questions
http://www.mypetchicken.com/chickenFAQ.aspx

 

[walterd]

More developments.

Yesterday (day 13 if you are keeping track!) we had a new development. We have at least two laying hens as we found two eggs yesterday, and two again today. The new arrivals are again small (1oz) and were both found outside the roosting boxes so obviously the work of a newcomer; one on the floor of the coop the second in the yard under a bush. They are also a few shades lighter in color than the rest of the eggs we've gotten (but not yet eaten). We had the benefit today of seeing a BPR rooting around there in some level of discomfort or anxiety - so we're pretty sure it was one of them. Since the new eggs are considerably lighter it makes sense that the other laying hen is a Wellsummer.

So we would seem to have a laying Wellsummer that is consistently producing eggs right out of the gate on a less than 24 hour cycle. Of course it could be more than one alternating days still, but the consistent 1/day, and earlier each day would seem unlikely over the course of almost two weeks. I'm not sure which scenario makes the most sense but we'll keep watching.

 

[AboutSixPounds]

Here's a photo of Welsummer eggs from Feathersite:
Welsummer eggs

They're usually very dark brown, much darker than brown eggs in the store, for instance, or barred rock eggs. Wellies also tend to be a little older before starting to lay.

My money's on your barred rocks as far as who's laying now. I had one that started laying at 18 weeks, and then laid every day for about a week before skipping a day. After a couple weeks, she laid for 22 days straight, almost always at noon! BR's are prolific layers, and their eggs can be a range of brown shades, but I've never seen one lay an egg as dark as a Welsummer's.

But then, chickens do their own thing (just to spite us, I think), so yours may well prove me wrong!