Moulting and Eggs

Some of my girls just finished moulting and I noticed that a few of them are laying smaller eggs now. Is this usual? It would make sense that after a break in laying their systems have to get back to normal but I just wanted to double check! And how long until everything gets back to normal??

I'm curious about this as well. I've never witnessed a moult, so this is a great question!

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WOW! When I posted this I was expecting more of a simple explanation or yes/no answer. Lol. Thank you for opening my eyes up to a bigger picture then a couple small eggs! I can see that I have some investigating ahead of me! These girls are my layers so I am not worried about the genetics(this time). I do not think I have ever seen a widdle egg before? Is it similar to a pullet egg(normal but small in size)?

Anyway... now you have me interested so I think I will keep track for my own curiosity They have very comfortable living conditions and are well cared for, the weather is warmer... think I will have to do a bit more looking into the breeds specifics. And I know the lines they are from are not good, lets just say they were a newbie mistake Which is why they are layers! But none the less you have given me a good heads up(or heel low) for the others that I am breeding! Thanks!

KlassyChic

I have had a couple widely eggs one was about the size of a small marble the other the size of a large marble. I just assumed it was one of th pullets that were just starting to lay. Now I know better. When I found the smallest egg I would have assumed it was a wild birds egg but it was not broke and was in the straw in front of my coop!

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I think, and I mean think, my chickens molt in the fall. I haven't had chickens not lay in the spring before, but choose not to in the fall. Last year was a big molt for many. Some didn't even molt so much that I really noticed it. Think that cochins are so full of feathers that when they molt it is barely noticed, well, except for the neck, they looked like naked neck turkens, smiling. So, thinking that my breeds are fall molters. When I raised some buff orpingtons last year, born June 1, they came into lay in the middle of December (at 24 weeks old). That was perfect, and they haven't stopped laying. So I am thinking I will ALWAYS have a late spring hatch to ensure that I have eggs all year around, not sure if it will always work, but surely gonna give it a shot. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Mine are fall moulters too. And I can usually count on a couple of months with no eggs. I've never had "egg farts". But I'm getting silkies this week. Maybe they will lay widdle eggs (I mean widdler than they normally do).