Is she the one egg wonder?

[lcountry]

My leghorn girl laid her first egg last Thursday. Of course, it was met with great fanfare and excitement at our house. Now we're waiting on egg number 2... and waiting... and waiting...

I don't really think she's a one egg wonder, but... When a hen is first starting to lay how long is it usually between eggs? And, when do they get into a more regular schedule?

 

[biretta]

I've only had experience with my 4 hens but after the first egg, I'd say it was only a matter of 2, or 3 at most, days till egg #2. After about 1 to 2 weeks they seemed to lay regularly. But I guess everyone's different. Maybe give her a week or two. By the way, what's your leghorn's personality like? I just ordered some chicks, one a leghorn, but cancelled the leghorn after reading some posts about the neuroticism of leghorns.

 

[speckledhen]

Had one recently wait seven days, so anything's possible.

 

[Firefly]

One of my hens layed her first egg, then two days later the second, then NOTHING for 13 days! Now she's started up regularly. Another of my hens layed one and it was almost 20 days before I got the next. So, mine are definitely slow to get started up! (They are RIRs). Hang in there, it will come!

Kelli

 

[lcountry]

I thought it would be normal for them to wait a day or two, but then I admit I'm getting anxious! I think waiting for the second is actually worse than waiting on the first! Thank you for letting me know we're in the normal range!

As to the leghorns personality... Actually, I really like them. I have 2 leghorns, 3 orps, 1 ee, and 1 australorp. They have all been handled a lot from tiny little babies. The australorp is miss personality - first into everything, always under foot, first to get to any feed that's out.

But the leghorns are next. They are the most curious, and much more outgoing than the orps. I love the mix that I have. Their personalities are stronger than the other girls. They are the ones to hop up on the coop so that they can get an eye level view of what is going on. I think they are making sure I'm doing things the way THEY want them done. I can catch them easily and hold them. But, they aren't really cuddlers though - definitely an orp or australorp for that.

 

[equine chick]

My easter egger took a whole week to give me another egg, i thought there was something wrong but 7 days later there was egg no 2. It took her 2 days to give me another but after that like clockwork i've been getting one everyday. She is just getting started!

 

[Smitty's Farm]

I am so releived to hear other hens are slow starters. I have been really worried about mine. I have one hen out of 15 that has finally layed her first egg. Thur she was pacing in front of coop. She'd hop in there and hop out and head for a shrub. I'd put her in the nest and she would settle down and sit for a while panting like she was in labor. She's get down and leave the coop and then go back to the nest and sit for about an hour. Of course it was soo hot that day. I ended up turning a fan on her. She never layed that day. She finally layed her first egg on Fri after doing the same pace in and out of the nest, but she laid it on the ground. Sat she layed one in the the nest box and it was bigger. nothing on Sun. Mon morning I found a bursted very thin membrane egg. Not sure if it was from her or one of the other hens, b/c several are doing the pre squatting dance. It was right under the roosting pole like it might of fallen right out of one of the hens.

keep us posted on when she lays her next one. I'm curious about the time frame.

It's frustrating!

 

[lcountry]

Uh oh! That's a new one for me. What is the "pre squatting dance" and what do I look for?

 

[Smitty's Farm]

I'm sorry....."Pre Squatting Dance" is just what I've been calling it.

: It's not a dance, it just behavior that the hens seem to exhibit right before they are ready to start laying. They squat with their back straight, head down, and wings out to their side very stiff. Mine only do it when I've been about to pick them up. I have about 5 out of my 15 doing it. Still no steady flow of eggs yet.

:

 

[lcountry]

Yippee! We had Egg Number Two today! Both eggs have been a tiny bit on the smaller side, but beautiful eggs. So it was one week between first and second eggs.

I bet the fact that I just bought a dozen at the store today took the pressure off of her so she could lay!