Answers please......

[lurky]

I was just told that when an egg is first layed, its not hard yet and it takes a minute to harden. I know some of you have mentioned seeing the eggs right away as they came out....so is this true or not??????

 

[Heidi]

I've been in the coop cleaning when many eggs were layed. At the last minute the hen stands up and you hear a thud. It is hard and moist.

 

[devora]

Same here. Hard. You can get a soft shell (or no shell) if they don't have the calcium, I think.

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm sure hardening is the last step but by the time it's laid, it's hard.

 

[MissPrissy]

New eggs can be soft. Any hen can lay a flukey abnormal egg at any time. Normal eggs are hard when laid. This is one of the reasons when a hen is eggbound you have to gently break the shell and help her pass it. Otherwise she would most likely be able to push out a soft/spongey type egg.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[rooster-red]

The egg is hard and wet, the bloom dries in a matter of seconds.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Hi Lurky - When my Penny first started laying, we got soft or no-shelled eggs for the first three days. After that, the shells were hard. i sat and watched her lay an egg once, and it does make a thud when it hits the nest box.

Oh, only other time we got a soft shelled one was right after i brought her back from the vet. i saw that coming.

 

[Davaroo]

I always left the girls alone to do their laying thing.

The whole event seemed a little too, well, intimate to be watching, calipers and magnifying glass in hand. It's like watching my wife go potty - I just aint gonna be in there during that evolution. That's her private space, man, you know?!

But, I'm glad someone cleared that up. Hard at "ejection."
That's good enough for me.

BTW - I like your little avatar, Lurky. I am curious, though. How can you live on the border of three states simultaneously? Which is it, officially?

 

[lurky]

Quote:
Its officially MA. But if you look at a map, i live where all three meet. I'm 5 minutes to VT border and 10 min to NH border. If i had to choose, MA would be the last place i would choose. My first choice would be NH.....live free or die state

Gotta love it!!!

 

[DuckLady]

It is an old wives tale about the egg hardening as it dries.
Normal eggs are laid hard as mentioned. A softshelled egg will not harden once laid.

Just to clarify, breaking the egg inside an eggbound hen is hazardous at best. It is best done by an expert so that the shell doesn't pierce the oviduct, tearing the delicate tissue, causing infection.