First eggs!

[Webechickens]

Hey, everyone, we're all excited over here in Modoc! Got our first TWO eggs today. Our Black Sex Link laid a huge egg outside in the run in soft dirt. Didn't know she laid it for a couple hours. Right when I saw it, one of the BO pullets started pecking at it and broke it in half before I could get in there. Covered the contents with a bunch of dirt so they wouldn't eat it. They did run off with the shell. Little boogers!! But, a while later, a BO went into a nest box and laid one! Hers was smaller than the BSL but a out the size of a med. egg. We found it right after she laid. Was still warm. Kids thought that was too cool. Hopefully, no more egg picking. Vigilance is now key!

 

[sourland]

 

[bbyblueyes3]

Yeah!!!! Congratulations!!! We got our first eggs yesterday. Two. One was in the nest box, the other in the run. The one I found in the run was cracked on one end. Not sure if someone pecked it, or it happened as it was laid?

 

[Webechickens]

Isn't that weird that it's almost exactly what happened to us? Very interesting. Congratulations on yours!! Can't wait to go out every day now and find treasures. Now if all of the other 13 will start!

 

[Webechickens]

Just got another egg, day 2. This one is slightly larger and a little darker in color, so I have no idea if it's the same layer as yesterday. I was actually in the coop today sitting and watching. Kind of assumed they always laid in the mornings, but yesterday and today was around 3:15pm. Guess there's no telling. Can't wait to fill the whole egg carton with our own eggs. Going to make quiche for dinner to try and use up a few of the store bought ones in the fridge. lol

 

[kodster]

Isn't that a coincidence... I found my first two eggs yesterday, too. One was crushed, and the other was sitting next to the crushed egg, in perfect pristine condition, in one of my nesting boxes. I have 15 hens, so not a clue which two laid them. Today, I went out twice, and first time, found a soft-shelled egg that was torn in half, and a couple of hours later, went back, and found another pristine one. The pristine ones were 34 grams each, nice, solid non-porous shells. I think the one I got yesterday may be fertile, so I popped it into the incubator with some other eggs I got... we'll see in a week if it is. The one I got today, don't think it is fertile, so it's sitting on the counter, to await companions to make it worth making an omelet with... DH says, we'll need six that size to make one omelet!

 

[kodster]

Isn't that a coincidence... I found my first two eggs yesterday, too. One was crushed, and the other was sitting next to the crushed egg, in perfect pristine condition, in one of my nesting boxes. I have 15 hens, so not a clue which two laid them. Today, I went out twice, and first time, found a soft-shelled egg that was torn in half, and a couple of hours later, went back, and found another pristine one. The pristine ones were 34 grams each, nice, solid non-porous shells. I think the one I got yesterday may be fertile, so I popped it into the incubator with some other eggs I got... we'll see in a week if it is. The one I got today, don't think it is fertile, so it's sitting on the counter, to await companions to make it worth making an omelet with... DH says, we'll need six that size to make one omelet!

Up to 3 a day, today. I think two of my RIR hens laid the first two days' of eggs, and now a Black Australorp hen started today. I was in the chicken house when I observed the Black Australorp in the nesting box, pushing and straining. Turned my head after sitting and watching for about 15 minutes, to look at the interactions going on with some of my other birds, and she jumps out, leaving a tiny little egg, solid shelled, 21 grams. Then shortly after she leaves, I started observing one of my RIR hens pacing back and forth, looking into the nesting boxes, hopping in and out, and she finally chooses the one the Black Australorp was in. She was pacing back and forth so much, like an expectant mom, that I knew she would be laying an egg, even walking underneath me, allowing me to pet her as she walked under (that's not normal for them!). Little while later, she's laid a 36 gram perfect egg (so I think she's the one that started the whole flock now). After taking the eggs inside, I went back out to their run that I am building for them to finish it up, and had just cut the door to the chicken house so that they can come and go at will, and noticed another one of my RIR hens pacing like the first one did. She stayed in that same nesting box the entire time I finished up their entrance, and so I stayed with her for a little while. She finally gave up, got out of the nesting box, and went outside into the run. I figured it was a false alarm, and went inside to cool off. Now, I just went back outside to check on them, and sure enough... she laid the egg in the run! I had to run to get it out safely because it was next to a Black Australorp starting her first outside dust bath and she was burying it! Another perfect egg, 33 grams.

 

[Webechickens]

Such great fun,isn't it? Can't wait until all of them start up.

 

[kodster]

Yep! As I just told my DH, Easter Egg Hunt, every day of the week, now! I may be up to 4 eggs today... 2 Black Australorps into the nesting boxes as soon as I opened up the entrance to the run, after shooing everyone outside and shutting their door so I could clean the chicken house without stressing them out, and them getting in my way. They were having a conniption fit to get back in, because they wanted to lay those eggs! So, first one's through, laid a 34 gram egg, the other one decided to get out of her chosen nesting box, and bitching up a storm because the other one is in the one she really wants! And the RIR that laid the 36 gram egg yesterday, is waiting in line for the same box! That leaves the other RIR that laid the 33 gram egg in the run yesterday, to lay her egg.

 

[Webechickens]

That's just fabulous! I found another one this morning. 2 of mine seem to be afternoon layers so will check in a while. I don't have scales to weigh them but they are definitely getting larger with each passing day. Still not quite as big as the store bought large ones. One of my son's, age 13, loves to go out and check for eggs. 2 of my other kids ( have 4 total) are getting into the action and about to start fights to see who gets to go out there and search. You are right, it is like an Easter egg hut, but I think even more fun. Can't wait to get 5-8 EE or Ameraucana so I can get blue ones. I would love green, too. Then, it would really seem like Easter!