What to do when some chickens begin laying weeks before the rest? (Feed switching etc.)

[ChickadeeBee]

Hello! 1st time chicken owner, and I'm wondering what to do when a couple birds begin laying weeks before the rest.

I have 15 pullets that will turn 18 weeks on Sept 21, but this past Thursday (9/3) I got my first surprise egg! Looked perfect, just tiny. I also found one that looked like a white deflated balloon (I'm guessing a punctured soft shelled egg?). Today I found 3 very thin shelled eggs that were broken (they were under the roost bars). I am opening the nest boxes today.

I know to switch to layer feed once they start laying, but I've also read about the dangers of giving calcium too early to birds that haven't begun laying. I have probably 10 birds whose combs are still tiny and not red at all, and they look like they have weeks to go before they will lay.

Should I mix their feed 1/2 grower and 1/2 layer, and provide crushed egg shells free choice? Or do something else? Thank you!

 

[LaFleche]

I would not change the feed yet but offer crushed egg shells/oyster shells free choice. Those in need will help themselves.

 

[ChickadeeBee]

Thank you! I will try that. Perhaps this is common for everyone, but my birds seem to absolutely inhale anything new I put down haha, so I'm hoping that - for the ones who shouldn't yet have it- that their bodies will tell them not to eat it. I'll put it in a small container with a few rocks to break it up.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you! I will try that. Perhaps this is common for everyone, but my birds seem to absolutely inhale anything new I put down haha, so I'm hoping that - for the ones who shouldn't yet have it- that their bodies will tell them not to eat it. I'll put it in a small container with a few rocks to break it up.

It's fine if some of the non layers eat a bit of it, they're curious and will want to try it out.

What are the rocks for??