First egg panic

[Houdini56]

I have three golden comets, Patience, Hope and Joy. Last week, at exactly 16 weeks of age, Hope laid her first egg - yay!

Yesterday afternoon I had moved the girls out into their chicken tractor on the grass which we do most afternoons when the weather is agreeable. I was working around the tractor when I realized that Patience was in a tizzy, running back and forth at the door. Looking over a few minutes later and she seemed in a complete panic, desperate to get out of the tractor. The other hens were just doing their thing and ignoring her, but she was in obvious distress.

At this point she hadn't even squatted once, though her comb and wattles were looking pretty full. But as they're all the same age I'm on alert. So I opened the door and she practically flew into my arms. When I picked her up she actually laid her head against my shoulder, something she's never done before. I placed her in the coop and she shot straight into a nest box -- 20 minutes later there was her first egg!

I'm so glad I was there at the time -- and I assume if I hadn't been there she would have laid her egg in the grass -- but I was really surprised at how badly she wanted to be in the coop to lay. I think we will keep them in the coop/run this week while the new laying routine gets established. Joy still has small and pale comb and wattles so may be a late bloomer, but I'm staying on alert.

 

[Chickassan]

Lol! Most of them like being hidden a little bit while they lay.
I'm glad you let her out she would not have been happy at all doing it in the grass.

 

[IamRainey]

Love the story! Love their names! I hope you loved the egg!

 

[aart]

Congrats and good move!
Now you'll have to figure out how to manage their laying needs with the tractor excursions.

 

[Houdini56]

Now you'll have to figure out how to manage their laying needs with the tractor excursions.

Yes, they really enjoy their tractor/grass time and aren't happy with me right now, but until we see things have settled into a routine with the eggs I think they need to stay "home."

Yesterday morning I had two broken eggs in the coop shavings. One of them was an extra-small and the other a bit bigger. They had to have both arrived between late evening and early morning. They were laid almost under the roost bar so no surprise at the breakage....good news is neither looked like it had been investigated or nibbled at. Both of them had a significant soft spot on the shell. Obviously, no way of knowing 'whose who's', but will check frequently at this point and with luck we won't lose too many eggs while they sort out their new schedules.