Can a hen hold in her egg?

[Foghornnmsprisy]

Our girls are getting close to begin laying. So we decided it was time to put in the nesting boxes. So after hanging the boxes we decided to stick around and see if the girls like the new addition to the coup. Well Mable took to them right away. With no time to spare she hopped in and started making a nest in the bedding. Then she started making noises that I've never heard out of her before. I told my husband I think we should have eggs soon. Right then I looked under Mable and saw an egg peaking out. "She's laying an egg right now!". And out popped her first egg. From the time we hung the boxes to the time she finished laying her first egg, ten minutes had gone by. "Good timing" my husband said. Well I should say so. But I started wondering was she holding it in or was it really good timing? I keep telling my husband I don't think they can do that. So what happened?

 

[sourland]

Coincidental I believe - congratulations on the start of egglaying.

 

[iwiw60]

Congrats on your first egg! I agree, it was just coincidence that she laid her egg right then and there....chickens...go figure!

 

[ShockValue]

Or she had been laying them elsewhere prior to the box being hung.

 

[10whiskers]

I would say it was a happy coincidence. Congrats!!!

This is what my (yet-to-lay) girls did...


Gilda: "It's a shoe rack."
Joonie: "Can't be. You ever seen that human wear anything other than nasty tennis shoes?"
Ginger: "I'm eating. You should see who snuck under "the thing".
Minnie: "And I thought she built it, so I'd be invisible..."

 

[krista74]

Or she had been laying them elsewhere prior to the box being hung.

x 2

This is exactly what I wondered.....have they been laying somewhere else in secret?

I'd be doing a sweep of their run and any areas they free range for a secret stash of eggs!

- Krista

 

[RonP]

Do you believe in magic?

 

[Foghornnmsprisy]

Well if I knew she was going to pull the rabbit out of the hat like that. I would have installed the boxes a lot sooner.

 

[aart]

Yep, she was waiting....what took you so long?!

Just kidding.

 

[Foghornnmsprisy]

Nope this was the first egg. They have a big run and someone (i guess Mabel) has been making nests in the pine shavings. But no eggs to be found except for her magic trick egg. How fast does it usually take a hen to lay an egg?