Topic: Small eggs

[greenfingers 1970]

I recently bought some chickens. I was told they were born near the end of last summer and started laying around christmas. They have settled in nicely to their new home, but I couldn't help noticing the eggs are rather on the small side, in fact smaller than bantems and they are not bantems. Is this usual, and will they get bigger? Can anyone advise please? Thanks. :)

[GodfreyRob]

There are several factors influencing the size of eggs:

The breed - some breeds lay larger eggs than others (e.g Silkies are lay smaller eggs, Blue Belles, large).

The strain within the breed - there can be a wide variation within a breed regarding the number and size off eggs a bird lays. If its possible its good to be able to find out what the birds peers are laying before you buy - but often this is not easy to arrange. You could check back with the people you got the birds from?

Where the bird is in terms of age and if its just started to lay for the first time or starting again after a moult - older birds generally lay bigger eggs, and eggs are smaller at the start of a new laying period.

Health - if a bird is unwell, its likely to lay eratically.

You might be unlucky and just have poor layers - I have a Cream Legbar that looks fantastically heathy and takes 6 month holidays (no eggs at all) and then lays small eggs for a month or two (its now gone broodie ???)

[greenfingers 1970]

Thanks for that info Godfreyrob, I guess I will just have to wait and see. I wouldn't be without them though, I've grown quite fond of them already! :)

[SueSteve]

My largest chicken -white sussex, lays the smallest eggs. While my smallest chicken - a black rock, lays the biggest eggs!!

[kt.]

My largest chicken -white sussex, lays the smallest eggs. While my smallest chicken - a black rock, lays the biggest eggs!!

My 6 black rocks lay medium size eggs.  I too was under the impression they laid big eggs but I guess not always. 

As a general rule - eggs usually start off small and will get larger as the hen gets older.  Once the hen reaches 30 weeks of age,  the eggs will have reached their maximum size.