New to egg laying

[SamanthaBrooke]

okay I'm new to the whole egg laying thing and I love my hens so much, I bought then as day olds and hand raised then to be sweet and loving, they are 18 weeks old and my biggest hen has been laying every other day, I have gotten 2 eggs for her, how long does it typically take for them to lay an egg, today is the first day I have seen her in the nesting bowl and she's been in there for 30 minutes and I'm getting concerned as its hot and she's panting, I took her some Apple Sauce out which she greatly enjoyed, I don't want to bother her but I'm a worried mommy...

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

okay I'm new to the whole egg laying thing and I love my hens so much, I bought then as day olds and hand raised then to be sweet and loving, they are 18 weeks old and my biggest hen has been laying every other day, I have gotten 2 eggs for her, how long does it typically take for them to lay an egg, today is the first day I have seen her in the nesting bowl and she's been in there for 30 minutes and I'm getting concerned as its hot and she's panting, I took her some Apple Sauce out which she greatly enjoyed, I don't want to bother her but I'm a worried mommy...

Relax - there is no one answer to this. First of all, you are dealing with a new layer and for them, especially, the whole process is just one big inconsistency. 30 minutes is not long at all - some birds will spend an hour or more on the nest before they lay - and then an hour or more after too, other birds have no time for that and are in and out in 15 minutes or less. She may also sit there for an hour, get up and leave and then come back later to lay - or not lay at all today. While panting may seem alarming to you, it is actually a good thing as it is a way for her to cool herself - it is also worth noting that some hens will be seen to pant while in the process of laying even in the dead of winter when it is not a matter of being over-heated.

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Thank you so much, you totally settled my nerves, I was on the verge of taking her to the vet in the next hour lol. I've got such anxiety