what is the earliest age you got an egg?

[chuckzoo]

AllCoop'dUp :

Is is safe to offer the Layena or Oyster shell to a mixed age group of chickens. I have 17 week olds and 6 week olds together. I thought I read somewhere that the calcium was bad for younger ones.

The extra calcuim from the Layena and oyster shell is not good for chicks/pullets that are not laying. It can cause kidney problems among others.​

 

[chuckzoo]

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Mine also started squatting before they started laying, apparently it is a sign of sexual maturity. One should only switch to layer at about 20 weeks or when they lay their first egg.

 

[MattalynsBarn]

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So what would happen if they laid their first egg on the starter?

 

[city kid farm]

Mine are 18 weeks and still waiting... 2 GLW 4 EE

 

[peepinator]

A chicken will start laying eggs regardless of whether you have them on starter or laying feed.

 

[phore]

Australorp 17w2d. Went to check on their water at about 9am, saw a pullet in the coop trying to get a SOFTBALL under her. She then started to gather some feathers to put around her. She was fussing like crazy. I figured that she was just practicing. Checked later and there was an egg. I didn't expect any for a week or two.

 

[MattalynsBarn]

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Yes but is it bad for them to? And does it make the e unsafe to eat?

 

[burquechick]

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Yes but is it bad for them to? And does it make the e unsafe to eat?

You can eat it, but the extra calcium is bad for them when they aren't laying yet. They can get severe kidney damage.

 

[chuckzoo]

Quote:
Yes but is it bad for them to? And does it make the e unsafe to eat?

You can eat it, but the extra calcium is bad for them when they aren't laying yet. They can get severe kidney damage.

Was it medicated starter or non-medicated? Some people will eat the eggs that were laid while on medicated startere, some will not. Personally I think it's OK to eat the eggs, I just switched mine to layer immediately when they started laying.

 

[countrychix]

I got my first egg yesterday from a 12 week old gold comet. I had thought that it was from one of the 13 week old girls until I saw the younger one lay an egg this morning. It was so eggciting!