Has anyone seen their hen lay an egg?

[gryeyes]

I saw it for the first time about a week ago, and was startled into sheer silence. Rebecca was annoyed that Buffy would NOT get out of The Best Nest now that her chick had hatched - darn Buffy was bogarting that nest and it wasn't fair! She tried to fit INTO it with Buffy and the GrandChick, but that didn't work (especially with Buffy puffed up and growling).

The heated discussion had drawn my attention, and I'd opened the hatch to the A-Frame to see what what going on. Finally, Rebecca laid the egg right outside Buffy's nest. Despite the open and empty nest box adjacent to her.

I watched that green egg just slide right out of her. Wow. After Rebecca recovered, she went into the Egg Song. I recorded it on my cell phone recorder - it lasted 3 minutes!

 

[schellie69]

I have watched and petted my hens while they were laying their eggs. I think that it was a really neat thing to see.

 

[shanonspeeps]

Oh yeah! Quite frequently too. My hubs thinks it's pretty gross!

 

[PunkinPeep]

Yes, and i think it is wonderful.

I have a barred rock who seems to be waiting for me to go out to the coop before she lays her egg. After having her lay right in front of me twice last week, i was going out to the coop to look for enough eggs for a recipe or something ( i don't remember exactly ). This BR was in the box, and i said, "i need an egg. would lay me an egg please?" and at that moment, she stood up and squatted me an egg!

I thought, i better encourage this, so i gave her some food right there in the nest as a reward, but she hasn't done it since.

 

[allmypeeps]

Oh yeah! Cool, huh?

I alway happen to walk in on them 'getting ready' sort of standing up and making little grunting sounds as the push the egg out- Poor things...imagine going into labor 3-5 times/week!!! OMGosh - I am so GLAD I am NOT a chicken!!!!

 

[br64]

many,many times. If I'm standing close to the nest alot of times I'll just stick my hand under there and catch the egg before it ever hits the straw, although one time I had my hand " out" and.....well, what I caught wasn't an egg

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Yup, chickens sure give you a lot of interesting behaviors to observe! Just one of the manymanymany benefits of keeping them!

I like how they stand up almost vertical, like penguins, when they're pushing out an egg. I don't think it really hurts, not like going through labor, it's just part of their day. The wet coating is the bloom, the egg's natural antibacterial coating. The hen really doesn't try to "clean" off the egg, what the OP observed must have just been the hen handling the egg with her beak, for who knows what purpose. Maybe some dim instictual urge to move the egg into a good spot in the nest.

Once I watched a tiny bantam hen of mine, named Finch, preparing to lay an egg. She was standing up almost straight and going "EEEEeeeee!" with the each effort of squeezing it out. She did this several times, stand...EEEeee!...stand...EEEeee!...stand...EEEeee! before her little egg popped out. I marked it, and put it under the next hen who went broody. The egg hatched, a tiny cockerel chick grew up and is now named ... Squeezy!

 

[Mahonri]

Ondra's Seramas :

I had one lay an egg into my hand once.

Many times I've had this happen. Love it.​

 

[Jeeper1540]

i think ots cool when you get to watch the hen lay an egg. i think i have only once, but there was one time, one of my hens was in the nest box, and i brought in some corn (their favorite) and she totally forgot about the egg. i didnt see it actually happen, but while she was eating the corn on the floor, she plopped an egg out. I told her sorry i disturbed her egg laying lol!

Oh, just remembered another time. my hen was trying really hard to get in the coop while she was free ranging (i close the door cuz i dont let the pullets or ducks out yet) so i opened the door, she ran in, and laid an egg, the wanted back out lol.

 

[Chickenfarmer 1-2-b]

I remember those childhood days when my 2 sisters and brother and I surrounded the nest box when our pet hen was laying. She completely trusted us. We spread her tail apart to get a better look when the egg was coming out. Now 30 yrs later, I am anxiously awaiting for my first egg again. Maybe this time my daughter will be doing the same thing.