I was not expecting them to lay until next year because of the temperature and dwindling light. But I found the first egg in the coop they don't sleep in!! It's beautiful! I'm not sure which of the six laid it, but woo!! Feel free to add your first egg pictures too! (And because I'm a newbie, is it possible to tell if it's fertilized this early? It was just laid today 11/14/19)
What a pretty egg! Congrats When you eat it, crack it into a dish and look for a white spot on the yolk. If it’s shaped like a bulls eye, it’s fertile. If it’s just a white dot, it’s infertile. You can Google for pics
Congratulations!!! That’s a lovely egg. First eggs are the best. A few of our pullets started laying in October.
Congratulations! What sort of chickens do you have? Just curious. I have a SLW, a GLW, an EE and an Australorp, all about 16 weeks old, and I was assuming that they would not lay until next Feb / March due to the short daylight hours.
Crack it open to check fertility by looking for the bullseye - you don't want to be hatching early 'pullet eggs' as they are still working out the kinks in their system and the eggs are often undersized - leading to poor chick health. Wait till their laying is consistent and the eggs are a decent size. In the meantime, enjoy those tasty eggs!
I have a Buff Orpington, two Isa Browns, a Black Australorp, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, and a New Hampshire Red. My girls hatched in early June, so they're almost half a year.
Thanks! Mine hatched late July. I guess I'm probably not wrong thinking they won't lay until next Feb/March. Congrats again on yours!