First laying

[Chickythom]

I am new to chicken rearing. This is our first flock and the females are finally maturing and just started laying. They are buff orpingtons, 19 weeks old. A few questions:

1. How often should I look/collect eggs a day? So far I look at about 10am, 1pm, and 7pmish. The ladies have been laying in the corner of one of their enclosures. They ignore true laying boxes. I will work on making them more appealing.

2. It is hot here in Texas, like 90-100 degrees. We also have a few Roos. One of the eggs I opened looked fertilized. Does that matter when we opt to eat them and if we collect at least once daily? Today I found two ladies sitting on their eggs. One was easily persuaded to abandon the egg, the other, not so much. I literally had to lift her off the egg. Was she broody? Is that normal so early in their sexual maturity?

3. We have Marek's disease in our flock so I have opted to wash eggs before sharing. I am concerned water only is not enough to clean off potential viral particles. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for insight and recommendations.

 

[Patinas]

I am new to chicken rearing. This is our first flock and the females are finally maturing and just started laying. They are buff orpingtons, 19 weeks old. A few questions:

1. How often should I look/collect eggs a day? So far I look at about 10am, 1pm, and 7pmish. The ladies have been laying in the corner of one of their enclosures. They ignore true laying boxes. I will work on making them more appealing.
.

I can't speak to questions 2 & 3 but checking for eggs 3 times a day is plenty in my opinion. That's about how often I check.

As for laying in the corner, if you can catch one about to lay, put them in the nest box. I had to do that with my first layer because she kept wanting to lay on the poop trays. I found her one day up there and put her in a nest box and she seemed to really like it and stayed there until the egg was laid. Now she never lays on the poop tray and even if she's out free ranging, she will head for the coop when it's time.

 

[Chickythom]

I can't speak to questions 2 & 3 but checking for eggs 3 times a day is plenty in my opinion. That's about how often I check.

As for laying in the corner, if you can catch one about to lay, put them in the nest box. I had to do that with my first layer because she kept wanting to lay on the poop trays. I found her one day up there and put her in a nest box and she seemed to really like it and stayed there until the egg was laid. Now she never lays on the poop tray and even if she's out free ranging, she will head for the coop when it's time.

Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

1. How often should I look/collect eggs a day? So far I look at about 10am, 1pm, and 7pmish. The ladies have been laying in the corner of one of their enclosures. They ignore true laying boxes. I will work on making them more appealing.

Collecting eggs once a day after they have all laid is sufficient. In Texas it's probably not going to get cold enough in the winter for the eggs to freeze. That's the only normal thing I can think of that might create a need to collect them more often.

2. It is hot here in Texas, like 90-100 degrees. We also have a few Roos. One of the eggs I opened looked fertilized. Does that matter when we opt to eat them and if we collect at least once daily? Today I found two ladies sitting on their eggs. One was easily persuaded to abandon the egg, the other, not so much. I literally had to lift her off the egg. Was she broody? Is that normal so early in their sexual maturity?

If you collect them once a day and store them in reasonably cool circumstances them being fertile does not matter. What did you see, the bull's eye or something else? The bull's eye does not affect the suitability of the egg to be used. It's not that unusual for our eggs to have blood spots or meat spots. That's where something gets in the egg making factory and gets enclosed in the egg. Commercial operations candle their eggs to make sure they don't sell them in a store, they sell those to bakeries and such where the eggs are opened before use. Those eggs are safe to eat but not very appetizing.

My test to see if a hen is broody is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal roosting spot. I'd have to know more of what you saw and when to be able to judge, but don't consider one broody until you see her on the nest at night.


3. We have Marek's disease in our flock so I have opted to wash eggs before sharing. I am concerned water only is not enough to clean off potential viral particles. Thoughts?

Marek's, what a pain. My thoughts are that washing them should be sufficient to stop the virus from spreading. Besides, are you sharing those eggs with people that have chickens? If they don't have chickens then it should not be an issue, but I'd still wash them.

 

[Chickythom]

1. How often should I look/collect eggs a day? So far I look at about 10am, 1pm, and 7pmish. The ladies have been laying in the corner of one of their enclosures. They ignore true laying boxes. I will work on making them more appealing.

Collecting eggs once a day after they have all laid is sufficient. In Texas it's probably not going to get cold enough in the winter for the eggs to freeze. That's the only normal thing I can think of that might create a need to collect them more often.

2. It is hot here in Texas, like 90-100 degrees. We also have a few Roos. One of the eggs I opened looked fertilized. Does that matter when we opt to eat them and if we collect at least once daily? Today I found two ladies sitting on their eggs. One was easily persuaded to abandon the egg, the other, not so much. I literally had to lift her off the egg. Was she broody? Is that normal so early in their sexual maturity?

If you collect them once a day and store them in reasonably cool circumstances them being fertile does not matter. What did you see, the bull's eye or something else? The bull's eye does not affect the suitability of the egg to be used. It's not that unusual for our eggs to have blood spots or meat spots. That's where something gets in the egg making factory and gets enclosed in the egg. Commercial operations candle their eggs to make sure they don't sell them in a store, they sell those to bakeries and such where the eggs are opened before use. Those eggs are safe to eat but not very appetizing.

My test to see if a hen is broody is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal roosting spot. I'd have to know more of what you saw and when to be able to judge, but don't consider one broody until you see her on the nest at night.


3. We have Marek's disease in our flock so I have opted to wash eggs before sharing. I am concerned water only is not enough to clean off potential viral particles. Thoughts?

Marek's, what a pain. My thoughts are that washing them should be sufficient to stop the virus from spreading. Besides, are you sharing those eggs with people that have chickens? If they don't have chickens then it should not be an issue, but I'd still wash them.

Thank you for your thorough response. We will share them with my dad who does not have chickens but will in he future. I am paranoid about exposing his land to the virus albeit the reality is it is probably already there given how close commercial operations are to where we live. He is not worried about it but I am given how long the nasty virus can live without a host in soil.

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Congratulations on your laying hens! It's always really exciting when they lay their first egg. I think for the first one looking three times a day is good enough

 

[Chickythom]

Ok another question. Before knowing not to rinse the eggs with cold water I cleaned some off with the hose and put them in either the other eggs. I now know better. Should I discard all of my eggs since I can't tell which is which or just eat them and rinse all others in warm water moving forward. I am a little paranoid given yesterday was our first day to eat them and both my son and I had some stomach upset. Could have been totally unrelated. Thoughts?

 

[Chickythom]

Also, I am thinking about rinsing in warm water, and then dunking in a 50/50 water acv rinse prior to storage to hopefully help with potential Marek's on the eggs from poop or dander. I looked at the egg wash at tractor supply and was not crazy about he ingredients. Thoughts? TIA.