16 Week-Old Blue Orpingtons Just Beginning to Lay

Hi everyone--was wondering if I could get some input on our hens. We have five Orpingtons--three Blue Orpington hens and one Blue Orpington rooster and one Splash Orpington rooster. They were hatched around mid-June and the hens have begun laying in the past few days. One hen seems to be laying eggs just fine and another hen seems to be laying eggs with very weak shells that are inevitably broken when I get them. The hens all get the same layer mash and they all spend the day out free-ranging either in the garden or in the yard. I'm going to pick up some oyster shell for them, but I'm surprised they need it as their diet is so varied. I'm also rather surprised by how small the eggs are--when I was growing up we had some RI reds and their eggs were pretty large, these are absolutely dainty in comparison. It's odd how small these eggs are in comparison to the size of the hens. Will the eggs get larger as the hens mature? I'd appreciate any insights. Thanks so much! :D

This message was edited Oct 18, 2010 7:31 AM

Those are pullet eggs, when chickens start laying the eggs will be small and vary in strength. They will get bigger and as long as they have a good diet and some calcium they will get stronger. Their egg laying "mechanism" is still adjusting.

Thanks smedgekles! I appreciate the feedback. I had suspected that it was because it was just their first eggs but wasn't sure. :)

No problem. Their first eggs resemble bantam size, but as they get older they will be laying you some nice big ones. They may still lay a small one here and there though.
As their systems are adjusting right now you may also get a "hiccup" egg. It will be a little bitty egg that looks like a bird egg. Cute egg but nothing but whites.

Smedge is as usual right on, sure would love to see some of your birds and also a big welcome to the forum...were always happy to enlarge the family here so hope you feel welcome, and hope you'll stick around...Haystack

I want some blue`s to with my buffs next spring,will wait for a broody then try to find some eggs on ebay

Thanks everyone! I'll try to get some updated pictures of our birds posted soon--the one from above is over a month old, as evidenced by all the green in the garden. :) We haven't had a full-blown frost yet but the garden definitely now has a fall look to it.

I have one hen that lays eggs with very thing shells. There are calcium deposits on the outside of the shell. It's been that way from day one. They are always my largest eggs! I keep them for myself because you have to be more careful when you crack them to be sure the shells don't fall in. I've tried giving her oyster shell. It seemed to help for the first 2 days but after that we were back to the mottled calcium eggs.

At first I had 2 hens laying eggs like that and then it went down to one and has been that way ever since.

My eggs varied in size too. I rarely get even a medium anymore but after one year, they have really decreased laying. I think they're in a mutiny since they prefer their winter quarters which we haven't moved them back to yet. Ever since we put them in the summer pen, they've greatly reduced laying.

And now my source for regular feed is temp out and I'm having to get feed from the feed store and they don't like that (picky picky picky), so that doesn't help. What they really like are greens. I guess they're vegetarian chickens!