VERY Early Eggs from Del Pullet @ 14.5 wks (PIC)

[speckledhen]

Tasha is 14.5 weeks old--trust me, I've counted and recounted; she hatched Christmas Day. She lives in the Old Ladies' Coop with the broody hen who raised her and my older hens and my banty Cochin plus a 15 week old D'Uccle trio. Found a small, oddly shaped egg yesterday. Everyone in that coop who is laying already laid except my 5 yr old RIR, Reba. I thought maybe Reba laid a clunker. Well, today, I found another one, exactly the same odd shape, rough with tiny calcium bumps, slightly flattened on one side, in the same nest.
This egg is larger than any D'Uccle pullet egg would be and is a brown egg, though today's is slightly lighter in color than yesterday's. The only choice is Tasha, who is very pinky-red in the face now and has been inspecting the nests over the past week closely. I've never heard of a Delaware laying this early, have you? My earliest was 18 weeks and joletabey had one from the same lines who laid at 17 weeks. Why so darn early? That really isn't good for her to start this early, but she did.

Tasha is in this short video of my D'Uccle cockerel crowing:

http://s673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/Mtnviewpoultry/Video Clips/?action=view&current=DSCN1385.mp4

 

[wekiva bird]

WOW! That is early
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[Hillbilly Hen]

Tasha is a big girl now. I hope it does not cause her any problems to start laying so early.

 

[Fred's Hens]

She's an early bloomer. The onset of many of the strains is getting earlier and earlier. Had some pullets last summer begin at 15 weeks. It hurt them none.

 

[speckledhen]

That's odd for a breeder type bird, though. Hatchery stock I expect anything and everything from, to tell the truth, but a heritage type Delaware? I sure hope it doesn't hurt her in the long run, I really do. Now, I have a new record for earliest layer in my flock. My Dels I always considered early layers, 18-22 weeks, usually, but this takes the cake!

 

[Serrin]

Holy smokes Cyn! I sure hope that doesn't harm her in the long run! Amazing! Simply amazing! But you know, even human children are reproducing, or are able to reproduce earlier and earlier these days. Maybe, somehow, it's an evolutionary thing?!? Maybe all of our lifespans are about to get shorter instead of longer. After all, the longer the life span, the longer the period of childhood and adolescence lasts. Just ask the elephants and the whales! They'll tell ya!

Very strange indeed. I hope you'll post another picture of Tasha's eggs in a few weeks so we can compare and see how she is developing. It would be very interesting to follow the life of one who started laying so very young! Good luck with her Cyn.

 

[Posh Chickens]

 

[tuesdays chicks]

very early bloomer, most likely because she's in with the layers, I believe thats why my ee's laid at 17 weeks, I hatched 4 pullets gave 2 to a neighbor with no chicken and kept 2 mine laid 17 weeks hers started at 21 weeks.

 

[CMV]

Amazing! 14.5 weeks?!?!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've read that early layers are prone to smaller eggs. As in the pullet size egg wont get much bigger as she ages. The breeding document this was in suggested not breeding that in your line.