My First Eggs!!! Questions!

[pooderpie77]

I am so excited!!! My hen layed her first egg sometime yesterday!! I dont know what time but it must have been early because this AM I let them out of the house and there were two more!! She is the only one that is of laying age. I think she is a partridge rock. The other four, two RIR and two Buff Orps.,I got as day olds in July so I don't think any of them are laying yet. ??? Is it possible to get two eggs that close together from the same hen? My camera is broken otherwise I would post a pic. The first was a dark brown, small but perfectly formed with no flaws. The other two were the same size but one was a very dark ,creamy white the other dark brown like the first. Can one hen lay eggs of varied color like that? Another question, it is getting into the 40's here at night (S Carolina) and will, pretty soon, dip lower at times. When I collect eggs should I refridge. them or can I leave them on the counter? I read you can store unwashed eggs on the counter but I didn't know if the colder temp. would change that.
I am just so excited to finally see results from all the work! I never knew owning a bunch of chickens could be so much fun and so rewarding! I wish people around me didn't think I was nuts talking about my chickens the way I do! So to say the least I'm glad I found this board! It's nice to be understood!

Kirstie

 

[wegotchickens]

You have 2 hens laying. Takes 25 hours between eggs, and colors are usually pretty consistent per hen.

Congrats!

 

[wegotchickens]

Oh! And we store our eggs on the counter for about a week before we fridge them. Usually they're used by then. Lots of recipes call for room temp eggs, anyway. If you wash them, fridge them right away, though (sometimes they are YUCKY with 'mud').

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens, and the site for people who understand your madness

And participate happily in enabling your addiction!!

 

[pooderpie77]

WOW!! Could one of my babies really be laying already!? I noticed one of the Buffs in the nest box the day before yesterday but thought nothing of it maybe she is laying already. Wow she is so young! four or five months at best, she even looks young. Thin and gangly. I am not positive about the age I'll have to go back through my records and check it. Thank you for your response though.

Kirstie

 

[LoneCowboy]

My girls were born in July 17, and 5 of them are laying

 

[pooderpie77]

My younger ones were shipped to me on July 21st at one day old so they would be close to five months old. My older hen is at least four months older so I have been waiting a long time for eggs. You can imagine my surprise that the babies would be laying already! Should I go ahead and start everyone on layer feed than?


Kirstie

 

[LoneCowboy]

Yeah, I would they are all over 18 weeks.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Yes to what everyone is telling you and congrats on the eggs.....I'd say your RIRs are the ones that have started laying too...my BOs took 23 to 24 weeks before they started laying....

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Congrats on the eggs! Yes, start them on layer. I also bet it is a RIR that is laying too. I have ISA Browns which are an RIR cross and they started laying at 15 weeks!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Congrats!!! I can't wait for mine to start laying but we have about 6 more weeks to go...

Question though - you can leave eggs on the counter? Why do you have to refrigerate if you wash them? I'd like to sell eggs and need to know the best/safest way to handle them. What temps are they safe left out at?