Where did your hen lay her first egg?

[KatiesKoop]

Proud chicken mom here!!!! One of my girls laid an egg today! The problem is she laid in in the garden next to my patio, not the nice nesting box my husband built ‍ Luckily she’s so cute he’ll forgive her! So I started wondering, has anyone else had a hen who laid her first egg somewhere weird?

Also, what do you all do with your eggs? Wash? Not wash? Refrigerate?

Last thing! Anyone have Cuckoo Marans? That was the hen I saw sitting in the garden originally, then my silver laced Wyandotte was out there when I found the egg, but my Maran is the only one squatting

 

[diamondsilkies]

Congrats on your first egg! Yes, my girls have laid them in all sorts of weird places, including their feeder, the garden, and right on the ground next to the nesting box. For my eggs, I usually don't wash them unless they're super dirty. Washed eggs go in the fridge, unwashed go on the counter. I don't have any Marans, but I know they lay a very dark brown egg, whereas Wyandotte's are a little lighter.

Also: to get your girls to start laying in their boxes, you can put fake eggs in the nests. Your local feed store may have some, and I know Amazon does as well. I've also used some cheap golf balls in a pinch. Good luck!

 

[Rlmp817]

When my girls started laying they were oncoop lockdown for a few days & I would put the prior day’s eggs in the nest box. Once the caught on I let them back to their normal free range schedule.

 

[FeatherstoneFrm]

I had just thrown out some scratch and they were all scratching around, the suddenly I realized they were playing with something. They seemed to be playing soccer with our first egg.

I had made nest boxes from 5 gallon buckets with a small price of the lic cut to make a lip to keep everything in. She didn't like it. So I replaced them with a plastic tub. I put a price of of pvc with a pool noodle over it in front to secure the tub and give the something to stand on. So far we have 2 layers and they both use it. Fingers crossed for the others.

We do not wash or refridgerate unless dirty.

 

[aart]

Congrats on your first egg and Welcome to BYC!

So I started wondering, has anyone else had a hen who laid her first egg somewhere weird?

Most my pullets have laid their first egg somewhere other than the nests. Give them time to figure it out. If you don't have older birds, and free range, you may have to confine them to the coop until they get with the program.
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

Also, what do you all do with your eggs? Wash? Not wash? Refrigerate?

Do a search, there's 4000 threads about egg washing.

Last thing! Anyone have Cuckoo Marans? That was the hen I saw sitting in the garden originally, then my silver laced Wyandotte was out there when I found the egg, but my Maran is the only one squatting

Here's how to tell ....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
Perfect time to start exams, every time you find a new pullet egg you can figure out 'who done it'.

 

[TheLittleFarm18]

My first layer made a nest in some weeds on the side of the coop, they free range....locked them up for couple days and she got the hint about nest boxes .let them free range again and 2 weeks later she made a nest in some more weeds way far away from coop! . Tomorrow temps are gonna cool off, they will be on lock down AGAIN

 

[Capoken]

2 out of my 4 RIR started laying at the 20 week mark. I had fake eggs in the nesting boxes and they laid their first eggs in the boxes, which I was happy about.

 

[GirlsMommy18]

I've got a hen who will lay in the nest boxes for a week, then sneaks off to the neighbors overgrown corner and lays there under a bramble bush. She taught another pullet to lay there as well. We're on lockdown for the 3rd time. Another pullet laid her first egg in the run today, so it may actually be perfect timing. These ladies have me looking everywhere though!

One of the bantams dug a nest under the nest box. Blocked that off so she dug a nest next to the nest box, so I moved another nest box on top of it. Finally she uses the nest box. Stuborn little stinker.