So please tell me how to store...MY FIRST EGG!!!

[Hatrick]

A few days shy of 20 weeks Optimus Prime Chicken at approximately 11:45am EST layed her first EGG!! YAY! I wondered why she didn't come when I called! It's small I guess, but WHO CARES!!

So question, do I store it in the fridge?
Will their eggs gradually get bigger?
No egg song?

 

[kikster]

Congrats on your first egg! Isn't it awesome?!

I store mine in the fridge just like regular eggs from store, although they can be stored on the counter (I've read) as long as you don't wash them off.

I hear that the eggs will get bigger, as she gets older (assuming she's a standard breed, and eggs are supposed to be bigger?). I got most of my flock full grown, the pullets haven't started laying yet, so....

My bantam rarely sings her egg song, unless she lays at the same time as my Buff orp, who encourages her to do so (and even then, you can barely hear her). Maybe she sang and you didn't hear it?

 

[Hatrick]

Maybe, I left the back window open just in case we might hear it.

So I can just put it unwashed in an egg carton in the fridge now right? I don't imagine they're going to last long around here so storage times aren't yet a concern.

One more thing, since only one out of my three is laying do I switch the one over to a new food or can I just wait until all of them start. Kay has been showing signs but Rosy is still not so I don't know how much longer it will be.

 

[kikster]

Yeah, just put it right in the carton, unwashed (unless it has a bit of poop on it, you can just wipe that off with a paper towel) pointy side down.
The egg has a natural bloom on it that protects it and keeps it fresh longer than if you wash it off.

Yeah mine don't last long right now, either (only two laying so far) and I bake often. This morning our Buff orp started singin her song, my son ran outside, grabbed the egg, came back in and threw it on the skillet! Talk about not having storage concerns, lol! (We had some in the fridge already, I guess the song just tempted him to have a REALLY fresh egg)

I would probably finish up the food that you have, and then see if there are any signs showing before you get the next batch. Although maybe someone with more experience will chip in with another opinion.

How close in age are they?

 

[Hatrick]

They're all from the same hatch, born May 04/09 but two of them started doing the squat about a week or so ago but Rosy, the lone hold out isn't doing it yet so if she's a late layer by a few more weeks I don't know whether to switch. We're almost done the 50lb. bag of grower we have so I would like to finish it off.

 

[koifarm]

One thing that may help you is this book:
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens
ISBN 1-58017-325-X
You can try Amazon for used ones and usually find them at a lower cost.
Just put your eggs in a carton and in the fridge, best way I know of.
Once you shift them to layer crumbles the laying will pick up a bit since layer has more nutrients and calcium in it for shell formation.
Enjoy those good eggs....

 

[kikster]

I refer to that book very often as a newbie.