When they lay, do you take it or leave it?

[christina1982]

My hens just started laying this week and I was wondering, what do I do with the eggs?

My dad (who raised chickens) said you have to leave one in the box. Well before I spoke to him I was so over the top excited, I snatched that first egg up, ran across the yard, showed my family and then put it in my fridge. Does it really matter?

Also, my Whiterock laid 3 days ago and not another egg since. I assume this is normal too?

 

[sj3364]

Lots of folks use a fake egg in the nesting box. A golf ball will work.

 

[hennyannie]

I keep some wooden eggs in the nest box to replace the real ones I collect when the girls are young.

 

[Cindilou]

If she already knows where to lay you don't need to leave it there. I leave a golf ball or plastic egg in there for the new girls to get familiar with the proper place to lay.
Is your white rock new to laying? Hens don't lay every single day. Most have a schedule they get on after laying for a time. a few of mine lay for 5 days and take a day off and then get back to it.

 

[christina1982]

Quote:
She has only laid once lol.

 

[mochicken]

I believe most people just leave one in there so the new pullets know where to lay the eggs, if your father had alot of chickens before then they were probably of all different ages so they probably left them in there more for the young ones than the older ones that already knew the game. I guess it wouldnt hurt but I would hate to have a hen go broody over a ceramic egg lol

 

[christina1982]

Quote:
Well I left the golf ball in there. My dad had all kind of chickens all over the place lol. While I do take his suggestions...I have backyard chickens, not a farm with chickens running ramped LOL! That why I asked the group of chicken geniuses known as BackYard Chickens people!

 

[christina1982]

Quote:
Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

My hens just started laying this week and I was wondering, what do I do with the eggs?

Normally, you eat them. I do.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

My dad (who raised chickens) said you have to leave one in the box. Well before I spoke to him I was so over the top excited, I snatched that first egg up, ran across the yard, showed my family and then put it in my fridge. Does it really matter?

I suggest you put a fake egg in the nest to show them where to lay. I suggest golf balls, ceramic eggs, wooden eggs, about anything the shape and size of eggs. You can use the plastic Easter eggs or ping pong balls, but I find they scratch those light things out when they are arranging the nesting material the way they like it. I tried filling an Easter egg with sand and gluing it shut, but they eventually broke it open and let the sand out. I leave a golf ball in all the time. Once they get used to laying in the nest you probably don't have to, but I never saw any problems leaving an golf ball there.

Also, my Whiterock laid 3 days ago and not another egg since. I assume this is normal too?

It is not all that unusual when a pullet starts to lay for her to be irregular. You can get odd shaped eggs or her schedule may be erratic. Most seem to sort it out pretty well, but some may take a week or two to work the kinks out of the internal egg laying factory. It is a fairly complicated process.

It is also possible she is laying somewhere other than the nest. I would look around for another nest just to be sure. It is also possible something is eating the eggs. A normal suspect if they are disappearing without a trace is your dog, if it has access. Odds are she is just erratic, but I'll just mention these as a possibility.

Good luck! That first egg is exciting.

 

[christina1982]

Quote:
Thanks for the help, even the sarcasm LOL!