Questions about first eggs and PICS

[denise70]

Hi, I posted pictures to the "first eggs" thread, but I also had some questions. This is my first time with chickens and I am learning, learning, learning...

We went away for four days and had neighbours looking after our chickens. We left Monday and on Sunday put a wooded crate in their coop with some pine shavings (that is all we had) just to help them get used to the idea. They were going to be 18 weeks Tuesday and I thought we should be thinking about the next box as we hadn't put anything in there yet.

We came back late last night and found this in the coop: (the tiny crushed stuff was in the coop next to the nest box and the other two were in the next box)

I know this may seem dumb but here are my questions (we are so excited so we are a bit goofy):

1) Do you think the same hen laid everything since it looks like the eggs were getting progressively more mature, larger?
2) Should I attempt to check "who" laid them by looking at their vents?
3) Can we eat these eggs since we don't know when they were laid?
4) Isn't 18 weeks a bit young for Barred Rocks to begin laying?

I think it was my one hen who is a bit more mature (they are all same age as we got them as day olds late April) as she has more developed comb and appears to be the boss. She splays herself out now when I try to pet her (like she is expecting a rooster to mount her or something).

Thanks for posting so much about your chickens on here - I have learned everything I know from you guys!

~Denise

 

[palochknldy]

Do the float test to see if the eggs are good. One of our chickens 1st egg was huge and we thought one of the neighbors put it there. Since then, we haven't had one as big, still confused about that one. Our BR is around 20 weeks or so and is finally getting her plumbing worked out. Good luck and enjoy those eggs. Everyday is like the first. The excitement of getting eggs never gets old!

 

[denise70]

Yay!
I tried that and they're fine! Thanks for reminding me about that.

 

[Muggsmagee]

In my experience, my eggs get larger over time...not necessarily in just a few days.

I'm curious if the larger one was a double yolker? Eggs left at room temp will be good for about 7 days. If promptly refrigerated, they can last a month. If you don't want to eat it, scramble it up and feed it back to your chickens. It is really good protein for them.

 

[denise70]

Well, since then we have had three more eggs, all from the same gal. Looks like only one is laying all those eggs which is six in one week.

None were as big as the larger one in the picture, which looks deceivingly large next to the tiny egg. It was actually probably officially a "small" sized egg (compared to commercial ones) and the others tiny (right one is the "larger" BR egg from my previous picture.)

At least she is laying them in the nest box - no golf ball required! I noticed the nest box is kind of sunny in the day as there is a south facing window in front of it which she doesn't seem to like. I will have to try to move the nest box or make a sheild of some sort.