Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

We have a new (and as yet unidentified) layer. Found an egg this AM laying on the dirt in the pasture. Not event the start of a bowl/nest beneath it. Also slightly undersized compared to average.

Typical signs of a new layer, meaning past time to do a headcount reduction. Seems to early to to be from the early-May hatching, but there are no alternative options of older hatch dates.

 

[Sally PB]

Seems to early to to be from the early-May hatching, but there are no alternative options of older hatch dates.

Wow! Yeah, that is early.

 

[NatJ]

We have a new (and as yet unidentified) layer. Found an egg this AM laying on the dirt in the pasture. Not event the start of a bowl/nest beneath it. Also slightly undersized compared to average.

Typical signs of a new layer, meaning past time to do a headcount reduction. Seems to early to to be from the early-May hatching, but there are no alternative options of older hatch dates.

How old are the next-youngest? Could one of them have taken a ridiculous amount of time to begin laying? (Not likely at this time of year, but maybe worth considering.)

Or it could be a one-off from one of the older layers, unless you find more over the next days and weeks. I've had times when a hen laid a smaller-than-usual egg, sometimes in odd places rather than a nest. It's not terribly common, but pullets laying at 3.5 months are not very common either.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, the above seems more plausible. Otherwise we are what, 15 weeks on one of the layers??? Seems wrong.

Must be an older hen making a mistake.

Next oldest batch are from last year - this would be WAY late. Even for Dark Brahma or SLW.

 

[SourRoses]

Yes, the above seems more plausible. Otherwise we are what, 15 weeks on one of the layers??? Seems wrong.

Must be an older hen making a mistake.

Next oldest batch are from last year - this would be WAY late. Even for Dark Brahma or SLW.

I agree it could be either, and sometimes mature hens with odd anatomy or hormones can have a sporadic reproductive schedule.

Also, I once witnessed a mature layer refused the favored nestbox by a broody, just give up and start chowing down at the feeder, and out pops an egg. She seemed to not even notice it, perhaps it was almost out when she gave up on the box. lol

 

[Logar]