Did the egg fairy visit me? too many eggs

[OrpingtonManor]

I just collected the eggs, and it's been about 18 hours since the last time, mind you. There were 5 eggs in there from 4 hens. How often does this happen?

I always thought that a chicken's egg laying machinery allowed her to lay about once every 26 hours or so.

But, I know I completely emptied the nest box last night. I only got 2 eggs from 4 hens yesterday, which suggests that someone was going to lay late last night or really early this morning. Still, doesn't this seem odd?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is possible that one laid late last night or possibly one was a little egg bound which delayed her laying an egg. When she cleared, the next egg followed closely behind.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

They are about a year old now, so their eggs are a lot bigger than they used to be. Does that make them more likely to get egg bound? I will watch them much more closely on days I don't get 4 eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Larger eggs could make them more likely to become egg bound. I'm not saying that the hen was eggbound but I have seen posts on here that when an eggbound hen was helped to pass the egg, another egg or two followed immediately. I'm just saying it is a possibility. It certainly won't hurt to check.

What probably happened is that a hen lay an egg after you collected them, then lay another the next day. Not all hens follow the 26 hour rule. They are living animals and almost anything can happen. Some people have posted that they have hens that often lay two eggs in one day.