We have eggs!!

[Gramma5]

I didn't have time to check for eggs this morning before my doctors appt but when I got home I had eggs waiting for me. 4 browns and a little white one.

The thing is I have 3 comets (brown eggs) and only two of them look ready to lay. The third has a barely there pink comb. Is it possible the two each laid 2 eggs? Or maybe laid them last night after I checked them?

I was really expecting the leghorns to lay first. I'm assuming Polly laid the white one. She has a giant floppy red comb.

BTW, the white egg is cracked. Is it safe to eat?

 

[Gramma5]

Also, 4 of them were laid in the run under the coop instead of in the coop. The other one was on the poop board.

Getting to those eggs underneath was not fun. How do I get them to lay in the next boxes. The only time they've used them is to play in the shredded paper and spread it around like confetti.

 

[kada6305]

They cant lay 2 egs in a 24 hour period. it takes aprx 26 hours for a hen to make an egg.

 

[sbhkma]

They cant lay 2 egs in a 24 hour period. it takes aprx 26 hours for a hen to make an egg.

While this is usually true, I had a sex-link hen many years ago that would often lay 2 eggs in a 24 hour period. I guess both her ovaries were active instead of the typical 1. She also laid eggs until she was 8 yrs old. Bertha was an awesome hen!

 

[lazy gardener]

While this is usually true, I had a sex-link hen many years ago that would often lay 2 eggs in a 24 hour period. I guess both her ovaries were active instead of the typical 1. She also laid eggs until she was 8 yrs old. Bertha was an awesome hen!

I can state for a fact that it's possible for a chicken to lay more than one egg in a 24 hour period. When my BSL started laying, she would often lay a normal egg in the morning, followed by a rubber egg in the late afternoon or early evening. On 2 occasions, she laid 1 normal egg followed by 2 rubber eggs later on the same day. I actually witnessed her lay 2 rubber eggs within a 5 minute time span. And, her "normal eggs" were often double yolkers. So, she occasionally passed 4 yolks in a 24 hour period. Thankfully, she has slowed down to now laying one egg/day. She hasn't missed a day in 2.5 weeks.

 

[lazy gardener]

I didn't have time to check for eggs this morning before my doctors appt but when I got home I had eggs waiting for me. 4 browns and a little white one.

The thing is I have 3 comets (brown eggs) and only two of them look ready to lay. The third has a barely there pink comb. Is it possible the two each laid 2 eggs? Or maybe laid them last night after I checked them?

I was really expecting the leghorns to lay first. I'm assuming Polly laid the white one. She has a giant floppy red comb.

BTW, the white egg is cracked. Is it safe to eat?

Re: the cracked white egg... it depends on how big the crack is and what your comfort level is. If it was clean when you picked it up, and the membrane was not broken, I personally wouldn't hesitate to eat it, preferably using it in cooking. The standards have changed. What we used to do in the dark ages is definitely different than present practice. My mom used to go to the poultry farm up the street and bring home a flat of pullet or culled eggs. The culled eggs were often very thin shelled, and some times cracked. The cracked ones were used for cooking.

 

[Gramma5]

The membrane was broken and it was the one I found on the poop board. I'm normally not squeamish about such things, but I think I'll pass on this one. I assume she will give me another tomorrow.

 

[Gramma5]

So, it appears that I simply didn't spot those other eggs for a couple of days because I'm only getting 2 eggs a day. One brown and one white. Still can't get them to lay in the nesting box though.

Hopefully, the other girls will jump in here and join Polly and Hannah. All but one of them look ready.