Another Newbie Question: How long to lay an egg?

[2DogsFarm]

My Black Star pullet is giving me a nice -sized brown egg daily

The other 4 are slackers!

Yesterday I let the girls out to wander after I finished mowing the lawn.
4 of the 5 ran right out, Markena (the BS) stayed in the coop.
When I looked, she was in "her" nestbox.
Since I have never seen an egg layed I sat down in the coop to watch. She was panting (it was pretty warm outside, but not too bad in the coop) and tossing shavings over her shoulders, and her vent was pulsing, but no egg.
I worried she might be egg-bound but couldn't feel anything and when I offered her some crumbles she gobbled them from my hand.

Figuring if she was eating she couldn't be too distressed, I went in to take a badly-needed shower.
When I came out - maybe 15min later - she was in the yard with everyone else & I had another nice little egg.

So:
How long does it take a hen to lay an egg?

 

[gumpsgirl]

I think it just depends, really. I've noticed that sometimes it takes my girls longer than others.

Sorry I don't have a straight answer for you here, but I don't know how else to put it.

 

[2DogsFarm]

Thanks gumpsgirl - I didn't think there'd be an exact answer

Probably if I'd waited a couple more minutes I'd have seen her lay...or not...maybe she'd be shy

 

[gumpsgirl]

I have been in the coop when the girls are laying before and watched, so I'm sure you'll have the opportunity at one point.

I've even had a pullet, when she was beginning to first lay, lay an egg in the driveway on my foot! Now that was a shocker!

 

[2txmedics]

sounds like me!!! I use to wait and wait when I saw them squatting...and nothing...I'd walk away and come back...eggs...my kids would be out there coming running in...I saw her lay this one, I saw it come out!!!

I was like heck,...I would try again, and nothing...one day I sat out I kid you not...30mins...

didnt lay...so I came in 5mins later I found out I had forgotten my keys out there...so went back...you guess it...AN EGG...

Now, I see them pop them left and right...I see them actually push them out!...theres a video on you tube...i posted it type in chicken laying an egg...and you can see how they do it....

 

[Jilara]

When one of my girls first started, she would go into the nest box and work on it for a couple hours, panting, figiting, etc. Now she pops in and lays an egg in ten minutes. I think it varies.