Pullet's first egg is really large. Should I be concerned?

[Rain264]

Hi Everyone!

I am new to raising chickens. This is the first batch I have raised. We got them on April 5th of this year. They are 18 weeks old and just starting to lay. We have 4 Amberlink, 6 Rhode Island Red (possibly production red), 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks, 1 Black Australorp, and 4 Cinnamon Queens.

One of the Amberlinks started to lay this past Saturday, and her eggs are smaller, which from reading these threads, is very much expected. She laid one egg this past Saturday, another one on Monday, and another today. All of the eggs have been smaller, and I know she is laying them because I have seen her lay 2 of the 3. This afternoon, I heard the egg song (pretty noisy) a few times. The first time I went out to check and the Amberlink was laying her cute little egg. It took her around half an hour, so I went back to work. I went out a few hours later to check to nesting boxes and there was one little egg as expected, but there was also, in a different nesting box, a gigantic egg. I took a picture of all the eggs collected so far for size comparison. Posting it below:

The pullets are all the same age (within a few days) and they are in a large run which I check daily and these are all the eggs that have been laid. We cannot let them free range as there are too many things that want to inform the pullets that they are made of food.

My question is, how unusual is it for a pullet to lay an egg this size as her first egg and should I be concerned?

Any guidance would be really helpful! Thank you!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Hi Everyone!

I am new to raising chickens. This is the first batch I have raised. We got them on April 5th of this year. They are 18 weeks old and just starting to lay. We have 4 Amberlink, 6 Rhode Island Red (possibly production red), 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks, 1 Black Australorp, and 4 Cinnamon Queens.

One of the Amberlinks started to lay this past Saturday, and her eggs are smaller, which from reading these threads, is very much expected. She laid one egg this past Saturday, another one on Monday, and another today. All of the eggs have been smaller, and I know she is laying them because I have seen her lay 2 of the 3. This afternoon, I heard the egg song (pretty noisy) a few times. The first time I went out to check and the Amberlink was laying her cute little egg. It took her around half an hour, so I went back to work. I went out a few hours later to check to nesting boxes and there was one little egg as expected, but there was also, in a different nesting box, a gigantic egg. I took a picture of all the eggs collected so far for size comparison. Posting it below:

The pullets are all the same age (within a few days) and they are in a large run which I check daily and these are all the eggs that have been laid. We cannot let them free range as there are too many things that want to inform the pullets that they are made of food.

My question is, how unusual is it for a pullet to lay an egg this size as her first egg and should I be concerned?

Any guidance would be really helpful! Thank you!

Is it a double yolker?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would be concerned if she continues to lay the double yolked eggs. I would bet $$$ that is a double.

I had a pullet years ago that hat only laid doubles. Poor thing got egg bound at 8 months and passed while I was at work.

 

[orloffer]

That is a large egg! Pullets often lay strange eggs when they are just beginning, but their systems should adjust before long.

 

[Rain264]

Thank you for all the replies! I have not checked if it is a double yolker, but it likely is. I was not expecting to see an egg that large from a first time lay! I will need to be vigilant and check which one laid it and make sure she doesn't keep laying the big ones. Not sure how to stop that though.

 

[NatJ]

I will need to be vigilant and check which one laid it and make sure she doesn't keep laying the big ones. Not sure how to stop that though.

I don't think there's anything you can do to make the pullet lay normal eggs instead of double-yolk eggs.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I don't think there's anything you can do to make the pullet lay normal eggs instead of double-yolk eggs.

Yeah....nothing one can do except be ready and educated in case a binding happens.

 

[My2butterflies]

I’m guessing it’s not too uncommon for them to lay a double yoker when just starting to lay.
Only one hen out of 10 is laying eggs right now. I got mine around the same time as you. Early April.
I’m not sure which egg was first and which was second. I wasn’t checking the nest box daily because I didn’t think they would lay for a few more weeks yet.
The big one was a double yoker.

 

[Rain264]

Yeah....nothing one can do except be ready and educated in case a binding happens.

Can you recommend some good sources where I can find that information? I have read up on some of the things, like prolapse, but I am a complete novice as far as most chicken related issues go. I am just thrilled that we raised all 18 from little baby chicks and none died! I would hate to lose one due to an issue with laying eggs

 

[Rain264]

I’m guessing it’s not too uncommon for them to lay a double yoker when just starting to lay.
Only one hen out of 10 is laying eggs right now. I got mine around the same time as you. Early April.
I’m not sure which egg was first and which was second. I wasn’t checking the nest box daily because I didn’t think they would lay for a few more weeks yet.
The big one was a double yoker.

WOW! That's an even bigger egg! The chicken in the background of your picture has a total "Nope" look!