First Egg Countdown

[destinidawn]

Well I think 2 of my 7 are laying now.. Yesterday afternoon we found an egg on the floor of the coop. My Thelma has been laying in the nest box and she is in the nest box again this morning doing her business. So I am thinking another chicken possibly my other black sex link laid yesterday on the floor. Because its only been like 17 hours since that egg was found, and Thelma is laying this morning. Eggs were very similar in size and shape but varried slightly in shell color the one on the floor was a bit darke, than the ones thelma has been laying in the nest.. Way to go Thelma and Louise...

 

[Happy Chooks]

Describe "squatting". What are we looking for?

When you reach for them, they will hunker down and spread their wings out a bit. If you pet them, then they will get up and shake it off.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I got that egg yesterday from my Icelandic pullet!

Nice sized egg too!

 

[ronott1]

Ohhhhh K! I got an egg on sunday A tiny, mini-egg. I have a white orp and a lavender orp. Any ideas which would have layed it? Since then ... nothing - although I've been checking like 6 times a day I really think they're teasing me, and we had a long talk about this yesterday (read: 44 year old woman having a temper tantrum in front of her 2 POL chickens )

Really though - although I think that might be normal for that breed, I want to verify with someone more knowledgable than me, since my knowledgable on the subject is limited to what I've read here so far. Any chance there's egg eating going on behind my back and they're laying and I just don't know it? would there be tell-tale signs of that? Here's a pic of my egg, along with a large "cage free" egg from the store.

Woo Hoo!

Orpingtons and other Heritage Breeds will often be hit and miss at first. Hybrids can too, but are more likely to lay the first egg and not take a day off until molt(not always a good thing--it's a lot of work for hens to lay eggs). The first egg may have been the only egg in the laying cycle. It takes around 5 days for the egg to get through the cycle. So, the next egg will come out when it reaches maturity. If she ovulated three days in a row, the next cycle will have three days of eggs. You will probably get another egg today and tomorrow. You may even get a shell less egg.

Don't worry, this is all normal. The eggs get a bit bigger with each cycle and they become more regular too. Its kind of fun to hold on to an early egg and see them get bigger week by week.

Of course that is hard to do if you only have a couple of layers...

Congratulations to all the first egg layers!

Ron

 

[HappyHenMama]

Ron, I just have to say you are the best. Always eager to answer questions and "egg" us on!

So I for one just wanted to say, thank you, for being such a supportive member of this thread!

Hugs, Kimberly

 

[ronott1]

Ron, I just have to say you are the best. Always eager to answer questions and "egg" us on!

So I for one just wanted to say, thank you, for being such a supportive member of this thread!

Hugs, Kimberly

Thank you!

I found this thread last year and was very encouraged by it. It is so nice to chat with other people that raise chickens. They understand what a big deal it is to raise them and watch them grow. I grew up with chickens but did not have them for many years, so I have learned and relearned a lot this year. Then last November I began hatching my own eggs...and later this Fall, I will hatch chicks from my chickens that I hatched

.

The hens on my first egg countdown this year are from eggs I hatched. That is really "eggciting".

Ron

 

[Mingming]

Ron, I just have to say you are the best. Always eager to answer questions and "egg" us on!

So I for one just wanted to say, thank you, for being such a supportive member of this thread!

Hugs, Kimberly

Definately agree with HappyHenMama. You're much appreciated Ron!

 

[Pele]

Congrats on the first eggs! Hey HappyChooks, can we get a pic of the Icelandic egg? I'm curious!

And yes pullet-eggs are teenytiny, and gradually increase in size. My Faverolle has yet to lay anything that I can put next to the Sex-Link eggs in the carton without laughing.

I agree that Ron is the best! He is better at my thread than I am; I'd be jealous if he wasn't so amazing . He's actually a lifesaver, since I'm currently buried under wedding-planning and have less time for chickens than I'd like. 101 days to go, I'm so excited/nervous I could jump off my coop!

 

[Flowerbh]

Thank you!

I found this thread last year and was very encouraged by it. It is so nice to chat with other people that raise chickens. They understand what a big deal it is to raise them and watch them grow. I grew up with chickens but did not have them for many years, so I have learned and relearned a lot this year. Then last November I began hatching my own eggs...and later this Fall, I will hatch chicks from my chickens that I hatched

.

The hens on my first egg countdown this year are from eggs I hatched. That is really "eggciting".

Ron

Hey Ron, I second the thank you to you. You are always answering our questions. I have some for you....

1. If I want to hatch eggs next year, and use a broody hen, and order eggs to hatch....do you have any hints that the hen is broody in time to order and receive eggs in the mail and then put them under the broody hen? I mean, how does that work? (I don't have a rooster or an incubator) And I want a cream legbar and think I will just have to hatch my own.
2. Do you have to put the broody hen and eggs in a seperate place or can they have them in the coop with the rest of the flock? Will the other hens pick on the chicks or does the mother protect them?
3. I have 6 16 week old pullets and 3 10 week old pullets. The older girls gang up on the younger ones all day. At night they will all go into the coop and sleep together. How long does it take for them to re-establish a pecking order and all live in peace????
Thanks

 

[RyeRanch]

Ron, I just have to say you are the best. Always eager to answer questions and "egg" us on!

So I for one just wanted to say, thank you, for being such a supportive member of this thread!

Hugs, Kimberly

X2! Thanks for all your wisdom.