How long to get started laying?

[shirlthegirl43]

I have posted pics of funny eggs already - half quail size ones! But today I found this when I let the girls out. All three warrens are laying - I had thought one or both of the Australorps were laying too but have realised that it is just the warrens.

The thing is, after they lay their 'experimental' eggs, how long does it take for them to get in the swing of it all? The first tiny eggs were weeks and weeks ago and I would have thought it would happen fairly quickly. This one weighs a whole 9grams

[kirsty b]

Not sure, last time I got POL they were already in lay. Perhaps they had a rest during the darkest days, and now we are getting more daylight are starting to get ready to lay again and their bodies are trying to get to grips with it? I've had a couple of soft shells recently where my girls are coming back in.

Not sure about funny eggs though, Lauren's light sussex just started laying tiny white eggs from the off, but never with any regularity (she hasn't laid since summer), and I have my suspiscions that she is a bantam anyway. A farm up the road have LS and she is nowhere near as big as them. Hope it evens out for you soon Shirley

[Suechooks]

My POL girls laid just one of the tiny eggs and then started laying each day and never seem to stop. However they are hybrids so it may be different for pure breeds.

[pipscariad]

Looks like a seed potato, complete with chits !

Can't answer the original question though, sorry

[MaureenHall]

That's one strange looking egg I should think that now the reproductive system has kicked in it shouldn't be too much longer before she starts laying proper eggs regularly. Does she "squat down" when you put a hand on her back? That's how I could tell when my POL's were going to start laying; one week they'd run away from me, the next they were squatting, and started laying that week! Apparently that's what they do when there's a cockerel around and they're "receptive"

[shirlthegirl43]

Does she "squat down" when you put a hand on her back? That's how I could tell when my POL's were going to start laying; one week they'd run away from me, the next they were squatting, and started laying that week! Apparently that's what they do when there's a cockerel around and they're "receptive"

I can't get close enough to put a hand over them to see if they squat!! The three warrens all do that - it is indeed a cockerel reaction

[Snadger]

I can't get close enough to put a hand over them to see if they squat!! The three warrens all do that - it is indeed a cockerel reaction

Chuck a bit of mixed corn on the ground for them to scratch at they'll be engrossed with the mixed corn and you can do the squat test!

PS Egg looks more like one of them has lost a kidney to me! eek

[shirlthegirl43]

Can't get close to the black girls even when they are eating! Getting better though, I can stroke them when they are roosting for the night but the squat test doesn't work then

[Eyren]

Warrens are the "egg factories" used in battery farms - once they start laying, they'll be at it every single day until they run out of ova and have a chickeny menopause

Pure breeds are more seasonal in their laying - my bantams haven't produced anything since they started moulting in late summer, but come Easter I expect I'll be knee-deep in cute little eggs!

[shirlthegirl43]

Just to update this thread, today I have had yet another 'yolk sized' egg. That makes three of them, two tiny (almost like Cadbury mini egg size) eggs and the deformed one shown on this thread.

Well, at least this one was in the nest box

[di]

That's one odd looking egg!!!
We had a few weird ones a few months ago,not quite like that,but very misshaped,.Still don't know what caused them(& they weren't newlayers)& they soon righted themselves.
Really don't know what to advise about the size issue...just hope it sorts itself soon for you!!

[lizzylemon]

to say sorry for not laying anything so far, Hendrix the black hen, presented me with this lovely stripy egg.

[Suechooks]

to say sorry for not laying anything so far, Hendrix the black hen, presented me with this lovely stripy egg.

Tie-dyed egg!

[MaureenHall]

to say sorry for not laying anything so far, Hendrix the black hen, presented me with this lovely stripy egg.

Paint a face on it and it'll look like a bald-headed man with a patch of sunburn