Will Cochin eggs always be so small?

[chickenpiedpiper]

I have a mixed flock, some Japanese, some Cochins, RIR's Buff Orps, and EE's, among others. I get nice sized eggs from my RIRs and EE's, who are older, but my Cochins, (6 months old) seem to only lay little eggs, not much bigger than the Japanese! They have been laying for about 2 weeks +/-. Will they always stay these little 'practice' eggs, or can I hope for bigger?

We feed egg layer crumble, and they free range everyday. Below is a photo of the eggs, from left to right there is....

2 RIRs, EE, 2 Cochin, Japanese, and the odd round one I think is either from the Golden Campine, or the Crevacoer. (but thats just a guess based on bird size.)

Do buff Orps lay small eggs?

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

doesnt anyone know about cochin eggs?

 

[4 Love of Baby Chickens]

I used to have a batnam cochin but raccoons got her.

She layed for a month, her first egg was tiny but after a 3 weeks her eggs got a little bigger.

 

[Frizzledhen]

Are your cochins bantams or standard? Usually eggs laid by either one get bigger as the bird gets older. At just 2 weeks of laying, I would guess the eggs will get bigger in time.

 

[UrbanChickenMama]

My cochin lays very small eggs. I was told by someone that the eggs are the size they are going to be after they've layed about 7. So if she's laid more than 7, that's probably what size their going to be.

 

[annaserv]

I had 2 older standard Cochin hens and their eggs were pretty large after laying a while. Just got my first two eggs from my young cochins and I had to chuckle at the size, about the size my full grown Banty cochins laid. (where you have to use 2 eggs to equal 1 in recipes)

What I thought was odd was my previous Cochins laid these extra oblong shaped eggs (long and narrow) and my first 2 eggs this year are mini long and narrow eggs.

I think it might take a little while longer than 7 eggs before they get to their actual size. I know my young girls are not full size yet so I really don't expect them to lay a jumbo size eggs yet (ouch!).

If I remember right (it's been a few years since I've had young pullets) for quite a while I could use any egg carton to collect eggs, then after time I only saved the extra large and Jumbo egg cartons and tossed all my Medium and Large cartons.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Thank you every one for your responses, you give me hope!

My Cochins are the Big ones.... Biggest birds in my flock, so yoou can imagine my consternation at such little eggs from such big birds! You can see in the photo that they are not much bigger than the tiny Japanese hens eggs, but the layer is bigger than my RIR's! Sheesh!

 

[MandyH]

My standard cochins lay HUGE eggs. I guess it depends on the genetics of the birds yours are from.

 

[Southernbelle]

According to Henderson chart standard Cochins lay small eggs!

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Wow, that's surprising!

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Quote:
Yes, but some of the info in that same section refers to the bantam cochins, so I have to wonder if they were refering to thier egg size. Several people have told me thier Cochins lay BIG eggs, and they are such BIG birds, I cant believe these tiny eggs are all they are capable of. I wish the photo showed it better!

Thanks for that link tho, I learned about a few other of my hens! Like the Buff Orp. She must be the one laying the mystery little round brown one, not in the row....