MY OH MY- FIRST EGG!! What do I do!!??!!

[groovy_chicken_girl]

Hi all!
So as you can see from the title, one of my 5 saphire gem hens just layed her FIRST EGG! I can't believe it! I really thought it would be much later- like when they were 6 months old, however unless TSC was wrong we got out 1-2 day old chicks in the very beginning of march so they are about 4 months!- is that seem early for pullets to be laying? What age is normal for egg laying? I am very excited!- however I am now worried about the chicken I suspect layed the egg- she was pacing around when I let them free range for a bit out of their run, and the door to the coop was closed and she was just jumping on top like she wanted to get in and clucking loudly and a lot (normal noises just a lot of them! ). I opened the door so she could and looked in to see a smallish brown egg sitting in the nesting box she usually sleeps in! I took it inside but before and after I did that she kept pacing and going in and out and in and back out of the coop. Is this normal behavior for a pullet who has just layed (sorry if I sound stupid- very new to this and learning new things every day!) and should I do anything for them/ be concerned?
I also was planning on switching to a different feed (any suggestions for that?) within the 2 weeks or something, based on some research but if they may need calcium or oyster shells is there anything I should be providing sooner than that? This hen I think prob layed this egg, seems a bit more mature than the others, because she has a larger comb but she is generally a similar size. She is most idependent out of all of them and sometimes wanders off when they are walking in a flock. Additionaly most of the time the others sleep on the roost while she goes in one of the 3 nesting boxes, even if there is room on the roost.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I would very much appriciate people letting me know if this situation seems normal and if there is anything I should add/do/change as we switch to this new chapter.
Thanks!!
-Groovy chicken girl

 

[3KillerBs]

How old is she in weeks? 18 weeks is early but normal, 20 weeks is the early end of average.

What are you feeding now?

I'm in the all-flock plus oystershell camp because I have a mixed flock of different ages, have roosters, and thought about the fact that I was paying the price of feed for the calcium, which is dirt-cheap in 50# bags.

POL pullets often seem to be restless and confused by what's going on with their bodies.

How about a photo of the egg?

 

[Three Little Chicks]

CONGRATULATION!!! That's fantastic send a picture! Her pacing seems normal to me, but I'm no egg-spert! You will find the Layer feed has a better nutrition for them at the laying age and oyster shell is a supplement. I crush mine to a dust because the stuff I buy seems too big for them and it just ends up on the coop floor. But yes they need a second source of calcium. It sounds like your girl is doing what my first did. She was nervous and pacing plus she had made a natural nest to do her business outside so the boxes were a second but better laying choice. But mine sleep on a roost verses a box the boxes then get shared during busy laying periods.
Send / post a picture!

 

[3KillerBs]

You will find the Layer feed has a better nutrition for them at the laying age and oyster shell is a supplement.

Layer feed is usually only 16% protein. Many people feel that our dual purpose breeds, who are larger than the commercial birds and live in different circumstances, do better on 18-20% protein.

 

[RoyalChick]

Congratulations - first eggs are so exciting. I will never forget the wonder I felt at the first egg from my first chicken.
Take a picture!

 

[Three Little Chicks]

Layer feed is usually only 16% protein. Many people feel that our dual purpose breeds, who are larger than the commercial birds and live in different circumstances, do better on 18-20% protein.

good to know☺

 

[babyratt]

Hi all!
So as you can see from the title, one of my 5 saphire gem hens just layed her FIRST EGG! I can't believe it! I really thought it would be much later- like when they were 6 months old, however unless TSC was wrong we got out 1-2 day old chicks in the very beginning of march so they are about 4 months!- is that seem early for pullets to be laying? What age is normal for egg laying? I am very excited!- however I am now worried about the chicken I suspect layed the egg- she was pacing around when I let them free range for a bit out of their run, and the door to the coop was closed and she was just jumping on top like she wanted to get in and clucking loudly and a lot (normal noises just a lot of them! ). I opened the door so she could and looked in to see a smallish brown egg sitting in the nesting box she usually sleeps in! I took it inside but before and after I did that she kept pacing and going in and out and in and back out of the coop. Is this normal behavior for a pullet who has just layed (sorry if I sound stupid- very new to this and learning new things every day!) and should I do anything for them/ be concerned?
I also was planning on switching to a different feed (any suggestions for that?) within the 2 weeks or something, based on some research but if they may need calcium or oyster shells is there anything I should be providing sooner than that? This hen I think prob layed this egg, seems a bit more mature than the others, because she has a larger comb but she is generally a similar size. She is most idependent out of all of them and sometimes wanders off when they are walking in a flock. Additionaly most of the time the others sleep on the roost while she goes in one of the 3 nesting boxes, even if there is room on the roost.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I would very much appriciate people letting me know if this situation seems normal and if there is anything I should add/do/change as we switch to this new chapter.
Thanks!!
-Groovy chicken girl

My best guess is that like humans, some chickens can mature faster than others. Was it a solid she'll? I think that I remember my past peeps laying soft shell eggs at first.

 

[groovy_chicken_girl]

Thanks for everyones support and info! So sorry for being MIA - its been quite a busy last few weeks and my Phone camera broke- but I now have pictures of the 2 eggs we got a couple weeks ago! I'll post them bellow! Our now 16 week old chickens have layed yet ANOTHER egg today also! I had been waiting but because we don't have layer feed yet I wasn't expecting consistency at all and it's just the same 1 chicken I think
Here are the pics : (a couple pictures of each of the 2)

 

[groovy_chicken_girl]

Thanks for everyones support and info! So sorry for being MIA - its been quite a busy last few weeks and my Phone camera broke- but I now have pictures of the 2 eggs we got a couple weeks ago! I'll post them bellow! Our now 16 week old chickens have layed yet ANOTHER egg today also! I had been waiting but because we don't have layer feed yet I wasn't expecting consistency at all and it's just the same 1 chicken I think
Here are the pics : (a couple pictures of each of the 2)

And then this is what the whites and yokes looked like!! To my BIG surprise the second egg was A DOUBLE YOKER!! I don't even think its that uncommon but I was so excited )
(some random questions- is it safe to eat the very fist eggs or are there any reasons why you should wait? Since I was happy just basking in the joy of having eggs I didn't end up eating them- my personal anxiety of "what ifs", but maybe I am just crazy lol . They are healthy chickens and the yokes looked nice and rich!- Very proud of those hens!

 

[TooCheep]

First eggs are perfectly fine to eat and double yolks are more common early on as the pullet's system gets into a routine. Congrats on the eggs!

And your questions are normal/natural for a newbie. We were all there once.