Congratulations, it's a great feeling. As long as the shell did not crack even if it did freeze that egg should be safe to use. But if the shell cracked I'd toss it or blow out the the egg part by poking a hole in each end, blow out the egg, rinse it out and dry it, and then make an ornament from it. It's the right season.
Yours is the second post I've seen this morning about pullets or hens starting to lay this time of the year in North America, either first egg from a pullet or first egg after a molt. Many people on here will try to convince you that chickens just don't do that this time of the year but now you know better. Some will wait until the days get warmer and longer but many of mine don't.
I would not mess with that tarp unless you have some reason other than light. Light does have an important part to play in chickens laying eggs but that is not about how blindingly bright it is. It's more about when they think the sun is rising and setting than about brightness. Right now in Pennsylvania your days are as short as they will be all year, probably less than 10 hours a day. That also dispels the myth that they have to have 14 or 16 hours of daylight to lay.
Some of mine do wait to start, but I've had the same thing happen, pullets starting to lay this time of year with no supplemental lights, more than once. It is a good feeling.
Yours is the second post I've seen this morning about pullets or hens starting to lay this time of the year in North America, either first egg from a pullet or first egg after a molt. Many people on here will try to convince you that chickens just don't do that this time of the year but now you know better. Some will wait until the days get warmer and longer but many of mine don't.
I would not mess with that tarp unless you have some reason other than light. Light does have an important part to play in chickens laying eggs but that is not about how blindingly bright it is. It's more about when they think the sun is rising and setting than about brightness. Right now in Pennsylvania your days are as short as they will be all year, probably less than 10 hours a day. That also dispels the myth that they have to have 14 or 16 hours of daylight to lay.
Some of mine do wait to start, but I've had the same thing happen, pullets starting to lay this time of year with no supplemental lights, more than once. It is a good feeling.
