What is the youngest a hen can be to lay eggs?

[twinklemama]

None of our other chickens started laying eggs before they were 6 months old. Before our current batch we have raised 12 to laying age. Our newest batch are 3 months old and there are 8 of them (4 red sex links, 3 black sex links, and 1 ee), and when I went out to collect eggs today I saw a pint sized white egg in the mix. I'm not convinced that my EE laid an egg yet. I always thought they would start laying until at least 5 months.

It is plausible that it came from our Leghorn as she is our old white layer (the others are Black Barred, red Sex linked, and Rhode Island Reds). But there was a white egg already laid today. The egg is question is the size of what we always get from a new layer, it was half of the normal size.

I think miss leghorn pulled a double lay on me today, but what to you all think?

 

[Chick Charm]

All of the birds you described are brown egg layers except the EE and the Leghorn. I think you got a double from your Leghorn from the info you have given. Maybe that is why it is so small.

Best of wishes to ya.

 

[Chick Charm]

The earliest I have had a hen lay was a Brown Leghorn at 16 weeks. 4 months old. But most of my chickens start to lay between 18 and 20 weeks for the good layer breeds.