Need help ASAP. when is egg laying an emergency?

[aggiemae]

Our chicks were hatched on April 1st. We got out first egg three days ago and another yesterday and installed the nest box last night.

We are not sure which of out six hens laid the eggs but narrowed it down to a RIR or an Orpington. since the two eggs are light brown.

One of our two RIR's has had a red crown for about 4weeks but no one, including my neighbor who ran a commercial egg farm for years, can tell if she/he is a roo. They are both scratching and sqwaking and their vents are pulsing but only the Orp is making normal laying sounds.

The thing is that these two have been "pals" since day one and pretty much do everything together. Seriously, they are like two twelve year old girls so it's hard to tell what's going on. My husband joked the the Orp is midwifing the RIR.

They hung out int he nest box this morning and joined the other chickens in the portable pen after about an hour. I shut then all in at around 8AM. I saw that they BOTH dug under the pen and found them both in the next box where they both seem like they are both trying to lay in the exact same spot.

The Orp seems fine but the RIR is panting and squawking her head off. But, of course, this is the first egg of one of them so this could be ok.

QUESTIONS:

1. How long should I let it go on before I check her to see if the egg is stuck?

2. I am also concerned because it's only 11 AM and already over 90 degrees and I am worried about how hot the hen house will get when the sun hits it. Should I move her somewhere cooler?

I am sorry this post is so scattered, I have a major head ached.

 

[aggiemae]

We have another egg! It's twice the size and lighter brown that the two others we have so far. I am thinking it was laid by the RIR.

This would be her first egg, It has some blood on it but there isn't any blood in the next. is there anything I need to check or do?

And there seem to be an alarming number of emergency questions today.

 

[CarolJ]

In my experience, it is not terribly uncommon for there to be a little blood on a pullet's first egg. I've seen it happen several times. I've also seen two hens in the same nest box many times. Someone posted a photo on BYC of 3 hens all crowded into one nest box. They're social creatures. Some hens will lay an egg quickly - others will hang out in the nest box making a lot of noise for a long time before finally laying the egg. Mine seem to do better the more I stay out of their business. Chickens have been laying eggs for eons with no human help. I just checked the thermometer in my coop - and it's almost 100 degrees in there. There's a fan going & there's plenty of water. If the chickens get too hot - they have a run they can hang out in. They'll know when they're too hot. To me, it sounds like your chickens are doing what chickens do. Unless I missed something, I don't see any cause for concern.

 

[aggiemae]

Thanks for the response.

We have a communal box so there is plenty of room for two. Three of our pullets are laying now, but one of the two RIR seems to be slower and noisier than the other two. Now that I know this is "normal" for her I can ignore it.

BTW one of the Buff orp seems to like being in the coop when another hen is laying.