Why are my chickens laying small eggs?

[alexa009]

I don't know why, but my 4 hens that are 2 barred rocks, 1 buff orpington and 1 easter egger lays eggs that are really small. When they first started laying they were laying large. Am I not feeding them enough? Is it normal?

 

[ChloChlochicki]

I'm not sure about your case, but I know feeding my girls sunflower seeds has helped their egg production

 

[TheTwoRoos]

The large eggs could have been first egg issues.Not really a problem but when hens first begin their eggs can be wack.

Can i see a size difference?

 

[junebuggena]

Were the large eggs double yolkers? Could explain why. New layers can take several weeks to start laying in a consistent manner.

 

[alexa009]

Yes, some of the eggs were double yolks.

 

[alexa009]

The large eggs could have been first egg issues.Not really a problem but when hens first begin their eggs can be wack.

Can i see a size difference?

Sorry, I don't have any eggs to compare with right now, but I would say they are definitely less than 49 gram.

 

[junebuggena]

Explains why they were larger. Their normal, single yolked eggs will be significantly smaller than a double yolker. Their eggs will get larger in a few months.

 

[duluthralphie]

I think the hens learn small eggs hurt less when they come out...

 

[Petra Pancake]

Normally pullets start with small eggs and with time they get bigger, but they can also have big freak eggs and double yolkers at first. Other than age, egg size and shape also depends on the individual chicken. I know which egg is from which of my hens because they all have slight color shape and size differences which are typical for each hen and stay that way. For an example, Goldie always lays small longish pink tinted eggs and Mad-Eye round white "golf ball" eggs. Lack of food or low quality food leads in my experience to fewer eggs, not smaller ones, and to thin shells.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My girls started out with small 43 to 49 grams and a few double yolks and the largest a single yolk 2 inches across at 95 grams.
This past week I only got 32 eggs but 3 are 76 grams, 1-77, 2-80, and yesterday an 84 gram. My girls at 13 months old, most are X large and Jumbo 66-74 grams, lately most are Jumbo. Seven of nine Friday/Saturday were Jumbo or X Jumbo over 77 grams.
Most were X Large a couple months ago. Right now my fridge has 3 dozen Jumbo, 2 dozen X Large and a dozen Jumbo or larger for myself. So about 2 to 1 favoring Jumbo. Yikes. That's a bummer for one of my friends who was a best customer. He prefers medium size as he hard boils the eggs. He was buying large reluctantly and last time said I snuck in an X Large egg. I didn't. I got only 2 or 3 large the past month. GC