Red sex links laying pattern

[Justhatched]

We got one egg on Thrusday (in the nest box), 4 on Saturday(2 in the nesting box 1 on the floor of the coop and 1 on the coffee table) and 3 yesterday all in the same nesting box. All of the eggs we have gotten have been small but one yesterday was a med/large size. We didn't get any eggs today. Is this normal? What is normal?

Let me explain the egg on the coffee table. My girls don't make any noise while laying. None. I posted something a couple of days ago about a hen bleeding from her comb. I picked this hen up out of the nest to show my husband her bleeding comb. I was holding her and then plop the egg cracked on the table. It surprised me. I didn't know she was trying to lay. This is my first experience whith chickens and egg laying. I won't be doing that again. If they are in the nest laying down I will leave them alone.

We also have black sex links. I don't think any of them (4) have laid an egg. Do they normally start laying after the red ones (I have 4 of them)?

Is it normal for their time of day to change for when they lay eggs? Our first one was at 1 p.m. and our last ones were around 6 p.m.

Thanks

 

[ChicKat]

Hey there Just Hatched,

From what I've heard when they first begin to lay, their eggs will be smaller (pullet eggs) and their timing will be a little sporadic. With time the eggs will get larger, and the laying will become more regular. You didn't say the ages of your hens, but the earliest I've heard for RSL is at about 16 weeks...which is really early---usually 20-24 weeks is the normal time for many breeds to start laying---and some breeds/hens even wait until 7-8 months.

Both RSL and your BSL should be very high producers. It seems to me I read that BSL will start a little later than the RSLs. Interesting that the by-the-book time between eggs is 25 hours. I have one hen that is definitely 24 or even a little less, and my other ones lay a little different time each day, and now and then will skip a day.

After a little while when they have been laying for a time you may discover a very regular pattern in their laying.

 

[Justhatched]

Quote:
They started laying when they were 19 weeks. They turned 20 weeks/ 5 months yesterday.

 

[bow-chicka-bow-bow]

This seems very normal to me. I have 5 BSL and 3 EE's and the BSL's started laying around 20 weeks and are now pretty consistant with times. From the 5 girls, I average 3 to 4 eggs a day. They have only been laying for a couple months but it will get to where you will be able to know the times they will lay. I have a couple who lay around 10:30 in the morning and now, perhaps with the change of season and daylight, some will lay in the afternoon as late as 2 or 3:00.

Bottom line, it is normal.

 

[Capvin]

Hi...we have 6 RSL's that are a bit over 26 weeks old. They all began laying at about 19 weeks and in the beginning it was a bit sporadic. Even to the point that a couple of times one of them laid a soft shell egg while on the roost at night and we found them in the morning. They began to get pretty regular at about 21 weeks and they now give us at least 5 eggs per day and most times it is 6 eggs per day and all the eggs are a nice size. Once they began a normal schedule they all usually laid before 10 in the morning EXCEPT that once in a while one of them would lay in the early afternoon. We make it a habit not to disturb them or stress them when they are on the nest and they seem to like their privacy when laying. We have three nest boxes for the six chickens and in the beginning they would all lay in the same nest box. Now they use all of the boxes on a random basis. The RSL's that I have seem to be very easy and regular egg layers and they are also quite enjoyable.

 

[Justhatched]

Quote:
Thank You.

 

[Justhatched]

Quote:
Thank You

 

[Fred's Hens]

Have raised them both. (caveat though: since the recipe for these hybrids is so varied, it is impossible to make specific statements)

Reds were 2-3 wees earlier and laid larger eggs earlier. The RSL egg is typically darker and has a more classic egg shape, where the BSL will lay a slightly creamier colored egg and a bit more oblong in shape. You should be able to distinguish their eggs by sight. RSLs will out-lay the BSL by a bit, as well.