First egg

[ShyZebra]

My hen laid their first egg sometime this morning. They have a nice looking nest, but it was on the floor. No cracks and far crom the nest, so I beleave it was lain there. My mother and I think it was an "oops', because this would be her first clutch. She had lain a couple eggs before, also on the floor, because she had no nest that time and no male. My mother suggested I place the egg in the nest, and I think it is a good idea, but I would like your opinions.

P.S. I'll put the egg in the nest tonight is none replies, because they sleep in the nest.

[Hilary]

It can't hurt! If she laid it from up on a perch it may have been damaged, but you never know - maybe now she'll figure out what the nest is for (other than sleeping)!

Hilary

[ShyZebra]

I put it in the nest and they both slept on the egg last night. This morning, there was no second egg. My mom said it could have been one of those times when the hen just lays an egg. Would they sit and hatch a single egg? And how long should I wait before tossing the egg?

[Hilary]

Any more eggs? They may just be young and still figuring things out - they'll learn (so may or may not try to incubate the first egg you put in the nest). Personally I'm never in a great hurry to move infertile/unincubated eggs out of a nest (my worst egg layers don't have any males in the cage so I know they'll never hatch, and hope that by leaving some eggs around they'll quit laying more!!).

Hilary

[ShyZebra]

Nope, stillno more eggs. They are still young (but old enough), so they proably need to figure things out. I'm going to see if they start sitting on it.

[ShyZebra]

Yay! They are sitting on it and turning it. My mom reminded me of her first pair. They only laid, sat and hatched 1 egg their first time out. Then they only had 2-3, instead of 4-7 I see posted as normal clutch sizes.