First-time Egg layer lays 3 eggs

[LadyFree03]

This morning I heard music to my ears! The egg song! Sure enough when I checked the was a fresh egg in the nest box. Excited I congratulationed her, collected the egg, took pictures, showed my husband, called my parents all the things you would expect from a first time chicken owner when I realized I hadn't prepared her box. But when I went to clean it out there was another egg! I was so excited my little Coq Au Vin had her second egg. I was sure it was hers because my 3 other chickens turned out to be roos. I congratulations her again and went on to then my garden when a little while later my boys starting crowing like crazy taking turn running in and out of the coop. So I checked again. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it happen for myself but there was a 3rd egg. Has anyone ever heard of a hen laying 3 eggs on her 1st day! I know it won't always be like this but I'm curious as to why and how it could happen. She is an Americana or Easter Egger and 19 weeks today.

 

[aart]

Are you sure the other 2 eggs were laid the same day?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Has anyone ever heard of a hen laying 3 eggs on her 1st day!

With living animals about anything can possibly happen. You'll learn to never say never, but that would be really rare. It is possible for a hen to release more than one egg yolk a day to start an egg being produced. Pullets just starting can do that. If two yolks are released at the same time you can get a double yolked egg. Or even an egg with three yolks. If that yolk release is separated by enough time you can get two or three eggs in one day.

But Aart asked a very good question. A hen or pullet typically makes a limited amount of shell material in a day. If those three were laid on the same day one or two of them would probably be very thinned shelled or shell-less. If two eggs are in the shell gland at the same time (and they would be) they typically leave marks where they were touching. Those eggs are green, which means they have some brown pigment on the outside. A hen typically makes a limited amount of brown pigment in a day. If those eggs were laid on the same day they should be different shades of green as that day's allotment of pigment was used up. For similar reasons you could see a very noticeable difference in the size of the eggs. So while it is theoretically possible for that pullet to lay three eggs on her first day it is extremely unlikely she would lay three normal eggs. I think she laid those on three different days and the first two were hidden in the nest bedding.

 

[LadyFree03]

Are you sure the other 2 eggs were laid the same day?

I've been checking like a mad woman every day for the past to weeks as any first-timer would and disappointed at with every search. And yesterday every time I pulled one out it was still warm. I'm sure they came on the same day.

 

[LadyFree03]

With living animals about anything can possibly happen. You'll learn to never say never, but that would be really rare. It is possible for a hen to release more than one egg yolk a day to start an egg being produced. Pullets just starting can do that. If two yolks are released at the same time you can get a double yolked egg. Or even an egg with three yolks. If that yolk release is separated by enough time you can get two or three eggs in one day.

But Aart asked a very good question. A hen or pullet typically makes a limited amount of shell material in a day. If those three were laid on the same day one or two of them would probably be very thinned shelled or shell-less. If two eggs are in the shell gland at the same time (and they would be) they typically leave marks where they were touching. Those eggs are green, which means they have some brown pigment on the outside. A hen typically makes a limited amount of brown pigment in a day. If those eggs were laid on the same day they should be different shades of green as that day's allotment of pigment was used up. For similar reasons you could see a very noticeable difference in the size of the eggs. So while it is theoretically possible for that pullet to lay three eggs on her first day it is extremely unlikely she would lay three normal eggs. I think she laid those on three different days and the first two were hidden in the nest bedding.

Thank you for your reply. The 1st is noticeable dark than the other to and shaped kinda funny. You can see the 3rd is slightly lighter than the 2nd but both their shapes are more smooth. Either way I'm excited she has started to lay!

 

[liz1012]

Are you sure your other fluff butts are Roos?

 

[Liberty-Chicken]

You said you found the second egg while cleaning out the box. What kind of nest material do you use? Sometimes chicken eggs get buried under shavings, and won't be noticed until the next day. The egg may have been warm because the hen was sitting on it to lay the first egg. Can you send pictures of your three cockerels? It seems like at least one of them is a hen. Are your hen and the cockerels the same breed? That might explain why the eggs are all blue IF one of the cockerels is a female.

 

[First time Chick mom]

You said you found the second egg while cleaning out the box. What kind of nest material do you use? Sometimes chicken eggs get buried under shavings, and won't be noticed until the next day. The egg may have been warm because the hen was sitting on it to lay the first egg. Can you send pictures of your three cockerels? It seems like at least one of them is a hen. Are your hen and the cockerels the same breed? That might explain why the eggs are all blue IF one of the cockerels is a female.

I was thinking the same thing. It would be interesting to see.