First Egg Countdown

[Junibutt]

That can happen the first several weeks when they are starting up. One of my leghorns kept ejecting shell-less eggs, then sometimes thin shelled eggs. Sometimes three total in a day. It was very messy and frustrating. She also laid her eggs from the roost, so even the good shelled ones broke when they hit.
She did eventually normalize, and now lays a nice white egg every day in the nest box.
Just keep offering oyster shell and she will be fine.

My mom used to feed them washed and crushed egg shells as a calcium supplement. Is that safe considering they may get a taste?

 

[Junibutt]

Here is the picture of Tree-Trunks eggs.

1st one to top is her egg on Day 1 at 10:00 AM
The one in the middle is Day 2 at 11:00 AM
The 3rd one (bottom) is her 2nd egg on Day 2 at 7:00 PM.

Its noticeable that it is shell-less and jelly like. Does have a membrane though!

 

[LadyCluck77]

Yes, those are all perfectly normal. Some will have a full shell, some just the membranes, and some will be totally sans any shell.
Even seasoned hens can sometimes lay a weird egg. When they start up, the weird eggs are more common.
I have also given my birds egg shell, microwaved for 45 seconds to kill any germs, then crushed up into pieces. I mix it with a small handfull of dry oats and sunflower seeds, like a sort of scratch for them. Some people say its fine to do this, and some people prefer not to. It's up to you how you feel about it.
If its been a tight budget week and they happen to be out of oyster shell, I do save my shells from eggs and make the scratch that way.
Congrats on the eggs!

 

[Happy Chooks]

That can happen the first several weeks when they are starting up. One of my leghorns kept ejecting shell-less eggs, then sometimes thin shelled eggs. Sometimes three total in a day. It was very messy and frustrating. She also laid her eggs from the roost, so even the good shelled ones broke when they hit.
She did eventually normalize, and now lays a nice white egg every day in the nest box.
Just keep offering oyster shell and she will be fine.

Correct. You get all sorts of weird eggs when they start laying. Nothing to worry about.

Quote: Yes, you can do that. It is advised that you wash them thoroughly and bake them in the oven for a while to kill any germs. You don't want to introduce bacteria to your hens.

 

[Hayduke27]

Ok, so since my pullet laid her first egg on Saturday afternoon, I have not gotten another egg. I thought I might start getting them regularly. What is the laying pace when a hen goes into her first laying cycle? The hen in question is a 19 week old black sex link.

 

[roheryn]

Still waiting for my second EE to lay! The first one is so much bigger, looks like a different bird and started laying 3 weeks ago at age 24 weeks. I got them together at 1 day old, why the difference? The one I'm waiting for is very skittish until you get her in your lap, then she is friendly. But in the coop, she won't come near. I almost got an egg bow this weekend, but it's really hard to tell. She still looks like a pullet compared to the other EE, who has a nice fluffy backside and large breast. It is so strange to see these two be so different, and I know they are the same age, raised exactly the same. My first EE lays every day at 11, very proud egg song when finished!

 

[foreverlearning]

First egg ever from two of my RIRs.

 

[horsesnchkns]

So - I finally had enough eggs to give a dozen away, and I gave my first dozen away to my dad. He has been a huge help in building the coop with me, feeding them when I can't get out there to feed (my parents live sort of next door to my pasture) - so I was planning to supply them with eggs.... it's the least I can do.

He gave me $1 for the eggs. Of course I'm not going to charge him for eggs, but how do I break it to him that eggs don't sell for $1 anymore? (he's 76 yrs old and used to raise chickens) - Ha Ha. If I tell him eggs are going for $3 and more nowadays, he'll try to pay me more... which I won't let him do, but.. I thought it was so cute when I saw the dollar in a jar out by my coop that says "Mom's egg money"

 

[JsChicksNC]

I made a separate thread about a specific issue but so far no bites so I'll post it here in the hopes that I may get a few bits of wisdom on why our RIR went from laying perfectly for a few weeks to laying terribly for a few weeks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/816695/laying-problems-information-or-suggestions-needed

 

[Pele]

Quote:
How long does your hen usually spend in the nesting box? You say she goes in still. Does she stay in there for the entire day?