Yipppeeeeee first egg today

[CrazyTownChick]

We got our first egg today!!! So fun and exciting!
Our 13 mixed breed girls are 20 weeks old today and one of the 3 CA white Leghorns, Cloudy, was the first! A perfect little light brown egg!!
Weve been waiting for this day for 18 weeks (since we got them)

 

[WallyG74]

My young group is at 20 weeks and we are anxiously awaiting also! Congrats on the first egg!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

So egg-citing !!

 

[Sally PB]

YAY! Congratulations! First eggs are magical.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

My young group is at 20 weeks and we are anxiously awaiting also! Congrats on the first egg!

Good luck! It will happen before you know it, and you'll be surprised each time. We have our 4th egg now, and we only know of 2 that are laying, not sure who's laying what yet.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

So now we're on egg 4!! so much fun. I have a couple questions though, if you don't mind indulging me.

We know who layed Egg 1. Then yesterday there was another darker brown egg laid, but we didn't get to see which hen layed it. This morning there was another in the same nesting box, and I suspect it was Miss Cloudy, the same one that laid #1 (shown in avatar).

Then after walking the dog on the back acres, I heard an egg song as I approached the coop. Put the dog in the house and came back out. I wasn't sure whether I should disturb the egg laying, so I didn't. Then a minute later, Miss Cloudy came out the pop door, side by side with one of the Isa Browns, Amelia. So I went through the 6 nesting boxes from the outside access door, and sure enough in the same nesting box was a warm, light brown egg. Egg #4. It was warm, freshly layed.

When I was checking the nesting boxes and found the 4th egg, both Cloudy and Amelia came into the coop and were making that low noise, and looking in the nesting boxes.

But I'm confused as to who laid #4? There was already a light brown one from this morning (had 2 light browns at that point) and this made a 3rd light brown.

It wouldn't be the same hen, Cloudy, who laid all 3 light brown eggs, would it? Or might it be her? Could she be laying one each day? (Sat, Sun, Mon) 3 out of 4 are light, one is dark.

Do they get possessive about their eggs and sad when you take them? I noticed she was doing a sad, low almost mournful squawk both times when I took the eggs. Should I wait a certain amount of time before taking them? She was off the nesting box both times I took them (plus no one was in the coop this morning)

Am I overthinking this? Does it matter which hen lays which eggs? I'm thinking for health reasons I should pay attention?

And....do they get sad when you take them? How long should I wait? I don't want one of the others to peck at it and break it open....

 

[Duckee]

Congrats!

Im not a pro, but I would say those 4 eggs came from 3 different layers.
I dont know if hens get emotionally upset when you take their eggs. They lay eggs solely to raise babies & preserve their lineage. Feeding me is not part of their plan! Lol. They like a big clutch to raise hatch rate success & will happily steal others eggs to do so.

All my girls want to use the same nest box. And all 4 boxes are identical! They pile up in that box. And my old girls get rotten and wont let newbies in to lay. So I take the eggs from them while they are still sitting on them and by the eggs i can tell who is done, and i take those girls out of the box so the others can lay too.
I like to know which egg belongs to whom so i can keep track who is doing ok and who may be having a problem.
I actually thought all 4 of my EE's were laying blue/green eggs. Now im thinking one is laying a tan/pink/lavender egg. Because ive not gotten 4 in a day and all my girls are laying now. But they all pile in the box together! As soon as i get all 14 eggs in a day I can confirm my suspicion!

I can tell your enjoying being a chicken mom. Im so excited for you! BYC has all the answers to any question you may have. Welcome aboard. I would enjoy seeing pictures of your flock and new eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

But I'm confused as to who laid #4? There was already a light brown one from this morning (had 2 light browns at that point) and this made a 3rd light brown.

It wouldn't be the same hen, Cloudy, who laid all 3 light brown eggs, would it?

No. Thanks for the photo so I can be sure. There can be some changes in shade from the same hen but nothing like that difference.

Do they get possessive about their eggs and sad when you take them?

Mine never have. They just lay them and leave them.

Does it matter which hen lays which eggs? I'm thinking for health reasons I should pay attention?

As long as the eggs are "normal", no. It is fun to know which hen lays which egg. Not just which are laying but what their eggs look like. If eggs are weird it could be good to know which hen laid them. The vast majority of people don't have weird eggs that indicate a health issue so it's not necessary that you know, but there is nothing wrong with satisfying your curiosity. I think it is extremely normal to be curious.

I have a reason to want to know. I raise my own replacements and want to see what they are laying before I decide which ones to keep. Some people have reasons to need to know. Even if you don't have a reason there is nothing wrong with just wanting to know.

In a different thread you asked about eating the first eggs. There is no reason to not eat those eggs. There is nothing wrong or unhealthy about first eggs. There are some reasons many people don't try to hatch the first few eggs. The egg making process is pretty complicated, sometimes a pullet needs a while to work all the kinks out of that system. Sometimes I'm surprised at how many get it right from the start because it is so complicated. That laying process is not just putting an egg together with al the parts in the right place but includes when to lay and where to lay. Best I can tell, yours are batting 100%. They are getting it all right.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Congrats!

Im not a pro, but I would say those 4 eggs came from 3 different layers.
I dont know if hens get emotionally upset when you take their eggs. They lay eggs solely to raise babies & preserve their lineage. Feeding me is not part of their plan! Lol. They like a big clutch to raise hatch rate success & will happily steal others eggs to do so.

All my girls want to use the same nest box. And all 4 boxes are identical! They pile up in that box. And my old girls get rotten and wont let newbies in to lay. So I take the eggs from them while they are still sitting on them and by the eggs i can tell who is done, and i take those girls out of the box so the others can lay too.
I like to know which egg belongs to whom so i can keep track who is doing ok and who may be having a problem.
I actually thought all 4 of my EE's were laying blue/green eggs. Now im thinking one is laying a tan/pink/lavender egg. Because ive not gotten 4 in a day and all my girls are laying now. But they all pile in the box together! As soon as i get all 14 eggs in a day I can confirm my suspicion!

I can tell your enjoying being a chicken mom. Im so excited for you! BYC has all the answers to any question you may have. Welcome aboard. I would enjoy seeing pictures of your flock and new eggs.

Thank you, that's very helpful! I'm thinking we'll install a camera in the coop so we can actually see which one is doing what, who's laying. So, from your experience it's "normal" for them to make noise when they lay an egg and I collect it?
Exactly, I want to know which egg was laid by which hen so I can keep track....and know if there is a problem. Thanks for the reassurance. Yes, hubby and I are REALLY enjoying his....after all the work, blood, sweat, tears, and money we put into building a secure coop and run, the reward is eggs!!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

But I'm confused as to who laid #4? There was already a light brown one from this morning (had 2 light browns at that point) and this made a 3rd light brown.

It wouldn't be the same hen, Cloudy, who laid all 3 light brown eggs, would it?

No. Thanks for the photo so I can be sure. There can be some changes in shade from the same hen but nothing like that difference.

Do they get possessive about their eggs and sad when you take them?

Mine never have. They just lay them and leave them.

Does it matter which hen lays which eggs? I'm thinking for health reasons I should pay attention?

As long as the eggs are "normal", no. It is fun to know which hen lays which egg. Not just which are laying but what their eggs look like. If eggs are weird it could be good to know which hen laid them. The vast majority of people don't have weird eggs that indicate a health issue so it's not necessary that you know, but there is nothing wrong with satisfying your curiosity. I think it is extremely normal to be curious.

I have a reason to want to know. I raise my own replacements and want to see what they are laying before I decide which ones to keep. Some people have reasons to need to know. Even if you don't have a reason there is nothing wrong with just wanting to know.

In a different thread you asked about eating the first eggs. There is no reason to not eat those eggs. There is nothing wrong or unhealthy about first eggs. There are some reasons many people don't try to hatch the first few eggs. The egg making process is pretty complicated, sometimes a pullet needs a while to work all the kinks out of that system. Sometimes I'm surprised at how many get it right from the start because it is so complicated. That laying process is not just putting an egg together with al the parts in the right place but includes when to lay and where to lay. Best I can tell, yours are batting 100%. They are getting it all right.

Thank you, great information! These eggs make it all worthwhile.