Two eggs, one suspect?

[schambo]

I have 4 hens - my 2 y/o Bovans (Lulu) is going through what seems to be the worlds longest molt and hasn’t laid since May, and I have 20 week barred rock (Pepper) and two 17 week Easter Eggers (Jellybean and Jem).

This afternoon I opened the coop to find two eggs - one with no shell, and one fairly soft and pale, very light brown, and cracked because it looks like the dummy laid it from the roosting bar?

(Just to show you that the egg really was brown. In the picture of both it looked like it could have been white or pink)

I checked vents this evening at lockup - Lulu’s is still dry and tight, Peppers is moist and open, and the EEs have teeny tiny little buttholes that are still quite dry. Jellybean’s was a bit more open and moist looking than Jem’s, but neither EE had much comb to speak of, and don’t look at all ready to start laying. It really seems like Pepper must have laid both of these? Is that possible? I know the first few eggs can have some problems, so I’m not overly surprised by the shell-less egg, more by the fact that there were two eggs! As an aside, will she figure out to use the nest box instead of the perch on her own?

The Suspects:

Pepper and Lulu

Jellybean and Jem

 

[sourland]

Pepper is the most likely. Beginning layers take a while to get everything organized. She will learn what's happening and that the nest box is for eggs.

 

[schambo]

Pepper is the most likely. Beginning layers take a while to get everything organized. She will learn what's happening and that the nest box is for eggs.

And two in one day? That's within the range of possible?

 

[aart]

And two in one day? That's within the range of possible?

Yes, especially if one is soft shelled.

 

[schambo]

The plot thickens? The egg was warm, but Pepper was standing around the nest box, so it’s possible that Lulu jumped in right after Pepper got out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Egg laying is pretty complex. A lot of different things have to go right, not just for the hen to put the egg together in her internal egg making factory but also to lay it at the right time and in the right place. It's not surprising that a pullet just starting to lay doesn't always get everything right. What's amazing to me is that so many do get it right to start with. If she does have glitches she often gets the kinks out of her egg making factory in a few days. If it takes more than two weeks she may have a problem.

A hen is supposed to release only one yolk to start that internal egg making process. Even mature hens can occasionally release two or even more instead of one. If a hen releases two yolks at the same time you usually get a double yolked egg. If the two yolks are released at different times you can get two eggs in one day. Often the second egg is thin-shelled or even shell-less. She may only make a limited amount of shell material in a day so does not have enough shell material to adequately cover both eggs.

Certain triggers tell a hen when to release a yolk to start the egg-making process. These triggers are set up so she lays the egg during daylight hours. Also, many pullets seem to know an egg is coming a week or so ahead of time so they start looking for a nesting site so they know when to go when the egg is coming. Many does not mean all. Some appear to not have a clue an egg is coming so don't prepare. Some of these can drop an egg wherever they are, either on the roost or just walking around, just depends on when that egg is ready to drop.

Thanks for the detailed explanation of what is going on, that helped. To me it sounds like you have a pullet just starting to lay that has some kinks in her egg laying system, both in putting the egg together and when and where to lay it. I recommend patience. If she is still having any of these problems in two weeks come back and we can discuss it. Or hopefully come back earlier and tell us she got her act together. I suspect it will be earlier.

Good luck!

 

[schambo]

I don’t know, I think this might be Lulu back in business. Tonight again I came out to find Lulu in the nest with a warm egg under her. We have gotten a good egg every day since my first post, which is 7 straight days of laying. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that would be unusual for a barred rock, especially a new layer, but is very typical for a Bovans.

 

[Kiki]

I don’t know, I think this might be Lulu back in business. Tonight again I came out to find Lulu in the nest with a warm egg under her. We have gotten a good egg every day since my first post, which is 7 straight days of laying. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that would be unusual for a barred rock, especially a new layer, but is very typical for a Bovans.View attachment 3254233

No I don't think an egg a day from a Barred Rock is unusual at all.
It might be a little more unusual for a bird that hasn't laid in a few months to start laying regularly again.

 

[schambo]

Well, non-mystery solved. As you all said, Pepper is definitely laying eggs! And she’s getting pretty good at it. What a funny little purring noise she makes as she lays!