Barnevelder’s First Egg!

[qopt]

My Barnevelders are all 6 months old, I wasn’t expecting any eggs for at least 2 more months. But today when I went to clean out their henhouse, bam! One egg sitting right in the middle. About a foot away from their nesting boxes.

What should I do with the first egg? It looked kind of bloody on the shell. How come the chicken didn’t lay in the nesting box?

I am so excited. This is my first time getting eggs from my chickens!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congratulations. Sometimes the poor pullets don't know what's happening. Sometimes there's blood as the cloaca stretches out. It looks fine to eat.

 

[black_cat]

I don't see any blood on the shell in that pic. Chickens sometimes need a bit of help finding the nesting boxes. Try putting ceramic eggs or golf balls in them to show what they need to do. The first few eggs can be a bit weird, so if you get any small or shell-less ones, that is just the hen's system figuring out how to work. Keep them all on grower feed or switch to all-flock, and offer oyster shell on the side to make sure she has enough calcium for strong eggshells. The one who laid will have a much redder comb and wattles than the others, and there is also something about their hips being wider set? I don't really understand that bit. Congratulations!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't see any blood on the shell in that pic. Chickens sometimes need a bit of help finding the nesting boxes. Try putting ceramic eggs or golf balls in them to show what they need to do. The first few eggs can be a bit weird, so if you get any small or shell-less ones, that is just the hen's system figuring out how to work. Keep them all on grower feed or switch to all-flock, and offer oyster shell on the side to make sure she has enough calcium for strong eggshells. The one who laid will have a much redder comb and wattles than the others, and there is also something about their hips being wider set? I don't really understand that bit. Congratulations!

Points between the hip bones widen due to hormonal influences. When a hen goes out of production the hips go back to normal. It's similar in mammals when the hip bones pull apart a bit before birth to allow an easier birth. Since laying eggs is similar to giving birth daily, similar biological changes happen.

 

[IamRainey]

I was so alarmed the first time I saw streaks of blood on an egg. And mine was much bloodier! But it never happened again to a dozen chickens in 3 years.

If you don't see it repeated, I'd consider it a freak occurrence and let it go.

 

[black_cat]

Points between the hip bones widen due to hormonal influences. When a hen goes out of production the hips go back to normal. It's similar in mammals when the hip bones pull apart a bit before birth to allow an easier birth. Since laying eggs is similar to giving birth daily, similar biological changes happen.

Ok, thank you! That helps me understand it MUCH better.

 

[qopt]

I

I don't see any blood on the shell in that pic. Chickens sometimes need a bit of help finding the nesting boxes. Try putting ceramic eggs or golf balls in them to show what they need to do. The first few eggs can be a bit weird, so if you get any small or shell-less ones, that is just the hen's system figuring out how to work. Keep them all on grower feed or switch to all-flock, and offer oyster shell on the side to make sure she has enough calcium for strong eggshells. The one who laid will have a much redder comb and wattles than the others, and there is also something about their hips being wider set? I don't really understand that bit. Congratulations!

I have two fake brown ceramic eggs in each of their nesting boxes. I only have two nesting boxes since I only have 5 chickens. I decided to move both ceramic eggs into one box to possibly leave the other one free for them to lay in?

 

[black_cat]

I

I have two fake brown ceramic eggs in each of their nesting boxes. I only have two nesting boxes since I only have 5 chickens. I decided to move both ceramic eggs into one box to possibly leave the other one free for them to lay in?

Leaving one open is a good idea because if one hen decides she doesn't like the ceramic eggs, she will have a spot to lay.

 

[qopt]

Leaving one open is a good idea because if one hen decides she doesn't like the ceramic eggs, she will have a spot to lay.

So I switched the ceramic eggs both into one nesting box. However, one of the chickens sat in the nesting box with the ceramic eggs, sat there for a while, kicked up all the hay and pine shavings and buried the ceramic eggs. The chicken in question was there for a while but did not lay an egg.

 

[black_cat]

So I switched the ceramic eggs both into one nesting box. However, one of the chickens sat in the nesting box with the ceramic eggs, sat there for a while, kicked up all the hay and pine shavings and buried the ceramic eggs. The chicken in question was there for a while but did not lay an egg.

Is this other chickens already laying? It was more likely making its self a bit of a nest than burying the ceramic eggs. Take the eggs out and put them in the hole that was dug in the box. That makes it look like another hen made a nest and laid eggs there.