Watching my hen lay her egg!

[tomato lady]

I went to the coop to give the girls a treat this morning. When I opened the door they were all there waiting for me. I sprinkled some corn on the ground in the side with a dirt floor and while they were eating I checked the nest boxes. No egg, but one of the golf balls was warm. I must have interupted Omlet while she was getting ready to lay.

I waited a few minutes and sure enough, Omlet went into one of the nesting boxes. She was so cute. She settled down, looked at the golf ball, and then very carefully with her beak she pushed the golf ball under her. She fussed with the bedding. She Bawked contentedly. I had made up my mind to stay and watch her lay her egg.

The other pullets walked on the board in front of the nest box, sat on top of the nest box peeking over the edge, and generally were trying to be supportive.

Then, from outside the coop I heard my DH saying, "I'm going out to breakfast with Harry. Could you come get me a clean shirt."

You see, my DH has not gotten a shirt out of the closet for himself for 47 years now. I'm sure his mother didn't do this for him, but........I guess he is just too spoiled now and it is all my fault. I went down to the house to grab him a shirt and went back up to the coop to find Omlet standing over the golf ball and her egg. She rolled her egg up against the golf ball with her beak and then settled down again. I missed it!

 

[fordmommy]

You were sssooooo close.

It's pretty cool to watch. I have seen one of mine lay 4x and she's only been laying for a month.

Super funny with the DH! 47 years of dessing him, huh???

Men.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

That is to sweet. Too bad you missed it ...... bad hubby!
I can't wait for my girls to get going.

 

[Garden Gal]

HOW FUNNY!!! My husband just came in and I read him your post - after my chuckling while trying to read it he said "DARN! I'm sure living the rough life having to get my own SHIRTS for these past 34 years!!!"

You are one good wife and I'm sorry it caused you to miss the first egg from Omlet!

 

[Olive Hill]

I'd leave a nice long response about how sorry I am you missed Omelet laying her egg, but I'm afraid if I stay too long my husband will walk in and learn just what he's missing.

 

[Raz'sRoost]

Sorry u missed this beautiful wonder I acidentally got to see my Sweetheart lay one of her first eggs and stood in awe of her for a few moments before realizing what I just witnessed.

As for the DH....I think it may just be a thing they do. I have only been married a year and noticed my DH is a lot less independent than when we were dating, lol

 

[Happy Chooks]

Throw the egg at DH shirt. While it's on him of course.

(wait, don't want to waste a perfectly good egg)

Darn, you were SO close. Next time tell him you're busy and get his own shirt!!!!! I love watching mine lay eggs. My buttercup is the only one I haven't seen lay, she's a private kind of girl. (and also flighty)

 

[Chew593]

I'm so sorry you missed the laying of the egg, but when you told this story I am reminded of my own parents. They've been married since 1962...47 years! And my father would be a mess if (God Forbid) anything happened to my mother. For years I thought her name was "Nedra-get-me-a..."

 

[theburtschickens]

As a man and a husband, I would just like to say that I dress myself, thank you very much. Of course, my wife WISHES she could dress me....I'm too frugal to be fashionable.

Regarding the subject, I watched one of my hens lay an egg yesterday. I grew up with chickens, but it'd been 15 years since I've seen one lay. It was really fascinating. Everything tomato lady described was exactly accurate up until the part where a little discharge came out, she got a little more restless, shifted her weight a few times and then stood up a little more and bent her back end down and out popped an egg. Then she squawked a little louder.

Unfortunately, the egg cracked slightly as it fell to the wood floor of the porch where she likes to lay. Even when I put hay or wood chips down, our hens nest down so much that there's bare wood on the bottom. I'd say 30% of our eggs are cracked.

We still use them, so far they haven't cracked all the way through the shell and membrane. But I'm eventually gonna figure out something here.

Like, maybe, a sign that says...

If you must displace the hay,
Please sit down before you lay.

 

[koifarm]

Quote:
You could try and put a sheet of carpet padding foam on the bottom of the nest box. Most carpet stores have a dumpster full of the stuff so it's free and easily replaced when soiled.