It's egg time! Do I have one layer, or two?

[nickylou665]

I was rewarded this Saturday with the first egg in the nest box from one of my hens!

I'm pretty sure it's this lady, my Kip - she's been growing in some lovely wattles and has been squatting for me, and the morning of the egg, she was making a racket and stalking through the nest boxes, while I was outside letting the girls have some free range time.

Since then, there have been two more eggs over the last four days, and I've noticed that the first and third are very similar, but the second one is quite different. I know that eggs can vary for newly laying pullets, but I'd like to open this up for debate - do you think I might have a second secret layer? All were found in the same nest box.

Below are two of my other hens who are possible suspects, Nugget (brown) and Poulet (Barred Rock) since they've been developing physically but neither have been squatting like Kip.

Thoughts? Do I have a secret layer? Thoughts? Opinions? Mostly I'm just so excited that I have a rent payer in my coop now, and my boyfriend hears me cooing enough about it so I wanted to share!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Wow a "speckled" egg, nice. First time layer's eggs vary in size & color, their hormones adjusting is my thought.

 

[nickylou665]

Wow a "speckled" egg, nice. First time layer's eggs vary in size & color, their hormones adjusting is my thought.

Thanks! They're all only four months old, so an egg caught me a bit by surprise. I wasn't expecting to start watching for laying for another month or so! I'm so proud of my little girl.

 

[andreanar]

I think you have 2 layers.

 

[nickylou665]

I think you have 2 layers.

I'm more convinced of this since today I found another egg that matches the egg in the center. I've either got two layers, or I have one layer that has an oddly rhythmic variance where the speckles change every other day.

 

[sourland]

I say two layers, and that speckled egg is really pretty.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Two layers

 

[ChickNanny13]

Change my vote, you got 2 layers The center one is really pretty, do you know who's laying that one? Just noticed, the other two are sort of speckled but with white or lighter coloring....You got neat layers!

 

[nickylou665]

Thank you!

I am very certain that my silver cuckoo marans, Kip, is one of the layers. She's been squatting for me and a few hours before egg number one appeared she was losing her mind stomping around the nest box. Since she's a Marans, I'd be more inclined to think she's laying the center egg because it is darker... but she was definitely in the box before egg one appeared. Mystery!

I have no idea who my second layer is. No one is fessing up as much as she has been! I'm wondering if it's my orpington or my barred rock, just because they're coloration is ahead of the other ladies.