This is my first chicken and she just started laying eggs about two weeks ago. I left her first egg in the nest for the past two weeks hoping that would make her keep coming back to the same spot to lay. I didn't want it to start smelling so I took it out yesterday. She was laying about 6:30 a.m. but today it's after 8:15a.m. and she still hasn't laid an egg yet. She keeps going to the spot where she lays but no egg yet. Is that normal for their timing to be off like that or could it be because I took the other egg out? Maybe she's about to start laying the bigger eggs? Should I put another egg back in her nest? Here's a pic of her. Thanks. She laid it about 8:30. Thanks for the info. If she lays it after I go to work and it gets below freezing that day, would the egg still be good?
Their normal production cycle is every 26-28 hrs so they amy lay at 6am, next day 8am, so on so forth until they are laying late in the afternoon, maybe take a day off, then start again in the am. You can try putting a golf ball in the nest if you want instead of leaving an egg in there. I don't have anything in the boxes once they know where to lay.
Quote:Ditto... keep collecting the eggs daily for several reasons. They will be fresher for your consumption, they won't smell or foul the nest, the hens won't have as much opportunity to peck/eat the eggs (they LOVE eggs to eat!), they won't be as quick to become broody, etc. Place an egg-like object in the nest instead (ie a golf ball) and this should cue her to where the eggs should be laid. Where are my manners?
