First egg! But who laid it?

[asionne]

I have 3 girls - all 21 weeks. A Rhode Island, an Easter Egger, and a Barred Rock. Lately the Rhode Island has been squatting down submissively when I pet her. We got our first egg today! But I'm not positive who laid it. I know it wouldn't be the EE. The Barred Rock is by far the largest, and has grown the fastest... But the RIR is the only one who has been submissive. Is there a way to look at the chicken or the vent to be sure?

 

[nova022]

I don't know of anyway of checking. RIR do seem to lay earlier than a lot of breeds. If she is the only one squatting I would guess it was her. My BR lays a light brown egg, though that might vary from hen to hen.

 

[asionne]

This is the egg. It's pretty small, but a beautiful, rich brown.

 

[nova022]

I think I would still go with it being the RIR who is laying. Are any of them doing the egg song, (long loud clucking session). Mine started squatting and doing the egg song several days before they began laying. Their comb and wattles also got much redder. The light eggs in my avatar are from my BR.

 

[bwahk]

I don't know if it would be obvious after only the first egg... but if you pick up your hen, and turn her upside down so you can see her 'vent'; good layers will have a wet moist vent that looks like a 'u' or upside down smile. Poor layers will have a small puckered vent that looks like an 'o' and will not be moist.

Hope that helps.

 

[nova022]

I don't know if it would be obvious after only the first egg... but if you pick up your hen, and turn her upside down so you can see her 'vent'; good layers will have a wet moist vent that looks like a 'u' or upside down smile. Poor layers will have a small puckered vent that looks like an 'o' and will not be moist.

Hope that helps.

Interesting, thanks.

 

[asionne]

Looked at both vents. The BR's vent is more yellow. Otherwise the look similar. Thanks for the tip!

 

[bwahk]

No problem. maybe after a few more eggs it'll be clearer.