For the last two days the talking coming out of the Big Barn has sounded different. Instead of chirpy, “I found a bug” and “oh, the chicken servant is here to feed us” chatter, I heard a lower, more insistent chuck-chuck-chucking voice of a hen who has laid an egg. It’s a stand up and take notice voice. A proud, pay attention voice.
I checked the barn several times yesterday. No chicken sitting in a nest. No egg hiding. But I did notice that the shavings in the boxes had been rearranged and the wooden eggs pushed aside.
I heard that voice again. I ran out to the barn. Nothing.
Steve saw one of the Rhode Island Reds anxiously checking out all corners of the pen. She went up the roost. “Shall I lay it here?” She went into the corner of the compost. “Here?” She perched on top of the camera. “Here?” Steve watched for awhile. No egg.
Then, about 4 o’clock in the afternoon all was quiet. And this was in the box.
It’s a light brown, absolutely smooth like marble, medium-sized egg. There was a smear of blood on it, which is not unusual for the first one. I wiped it off with a damp paper towel and put it in the egg rack in the kitchen. It’s beautiful.
Perhaps Ruby laid it. Or maybe her twin, Garnet. These two look and act alike. The only way I can tell them apart is by the blue leg band I put on Garnet.
Who will lay an egg today? I’m baking bread. The dough is rising in the kitchen. I’m ready for toast and omelets for dinner.
Congratulations! That is a very exciting time. Our new pullets just started laying last week as well. I love those peeps!
congratulations!!! a chickens first egg is always such a treasure :)
I absolutely LOVE listening to my young hens celebrate their eggs. Two or three will join the clucking chorus and it’s music to my ears. Enjoy that omelet!
Congratulations! My little girls (4) started laying a couple weeks ago. Well, my Ameracana was the first, with a small green egg. She has been consistently laying. Two days ago, I saw a remarkably larger green egg.
Yay! Congratulations and happy breakfast for dinner tonight!
Yay! I can’t wait until ours start laying…should be any day now.
My three oldest girls were hatched on April 26th. One Light Brahma, and two Americaunas. sp? Then I got two more a few weeks later. Shouldn’t my oldest three by laying by now????? I keep thinking any day, any day!!! They don’t have nearly as much wattle and comb as yours do. I guess that grows differently for different breeds?
Yea for your egg! It is so exciting!
Hybrids begin to lay earlier than the other breeds. The Brahma is a late starter. It can vary by a month. Patience!
Yummy! On another note, I have been trying to vote for henblog but I do not get the link anymore, just the surveymonkey link. Is the voting over?
The voting closes tomorrow, but the system has been rife with glitches. I appreciate you trying!
What a beautiful egg! Congratulations!
I am curious about the wooden eggs? Have you always used them to encourage the chickens to lay in the nests boxes? Where did you find them?
We tried golf balls yesterday and it worked. We placed 2 in each of the 3 nest boxes and they used all 3 nests.
Our new chickens are kept with the older chickens, can this be a deterent on the new ones to lay in the boxes?
I was hoping it would show them what to do.
i am soo happy…..congrats: )
Yay! Congratulations. With all those options, she laid her egg in the right place, too! Clever girl. By the looks of that second picture, it seems someone else is very interested in those boxes as well. :)
That’s great news! I remember the excitement over finding those first eggs. Wish the camera was a little more on the nest boxes so we could see who’s on.
Hooray! Finally, an egg! That is so exciting, Terry. My two 23-week old chickens have laid a couple of eggs over the past few days, but in random places where they have cracked or been eaten by the other chickens. Finally, today, we had our first unadulterated egg! It was tiny, but so exciting!
EGG-CELLENT !!!!!!
Yeah! I got my second egg today. One of the girls laid one a week ago and nothing since. I was wondering how long it would take. My son was soooo excited he found the second egg. It’s like Easter! Congrats Terry!
Congrats!
How exciting! I can’t wait for that to happen here. We’ve just made the jump into raising chickens. We have 2 young hens and a chick. I think the Brahma should be the first to lay, but now reading these comments I’m worried she won’t go to the nesting box to lay it as she free ranges all day.
I’m a big advocate of keeping the pullets near home when they are beginning to lay. Get them in the habit of laying in the barn. You don’t want to be hunting up nesting sites!
A Gem egg, hurrah.
I have also not been able to vote recently as it just goes straight to “Survey Monkey”, most annoying. I am glad some people have managed multiple votes as I feel it makes up for some of us that couldn’t continue to vote. When will we know who wins?
Good luck, I am sure we all have fingers crossed.
Thanks for trying to vote! Voting ends today and I’ve been told that winners will be announced on the Country Living website.