For the last week or two, I’d been noticing that my chickens weren’t laying as many eggs. I’d find one a day in their coop as opposed to the two or three they usually laid. They were eating normally, acting normally, and the one afternoon that I actually did find three eggs in their nest, I hadn’t let them out to roam the day before.
I had a growing suspicion that perhaps they were laying elsewhere in the yard, but all their previous rogue nests — on the compost, in the leaf pile, under the oleander — turned up nothing.
Walking down to the coop one afternoon, I noticed a chicken missing: Kimora, my Barred Rock, who’s always the first to run up and greet me. I called out for her and checked a few of her favorite sunbathing spots, but still no Kimora. The other two girls started calling out for her as well (what they usually do when one gets lost) and suddenly I heard a sound come from the trees.
There, tucked in between a cluster of banana trees and hidden from view, was Kimora… and it looked like she was sitting on one, two, three, four?! eggs…
When she spotted me she eagerly hopped off her nest, hoping for a handful of mealworm treats. But as I leaned in closer, I let out a little gasp.
In that little square foot area, the girls had carved out a makeshift nest on a pile of dried and shredded banana leaves, with nearly a dozen eggs stashed away! Turns out, Kimora and Iman had been hiding most of their eggs from me!
I soon realized that I’d inadvertently disturbed Kimora from her egg-laying perch. After a hearty snack, she hopped back in to her cornucopia of a nest and made herself cozy again.
Though this video shows just the 3 minutes before it all happened, the entire egg-laying process takes at least 30 minutes from the time the chicken starts contractions to when the egg finally comes out. (Considering that a chicken’s day only lasts about 12 hours, that’s a lot of time to spend in labor!)
Now, I’d always heard my chickens crow and caw from the house, and I’d always assumed it was the chicken pushing an egg out. But after watching a couple of my girls in action this year, I’ve realized that it usually isn’t coming from the laying hen at all… it’s coming from her girlfriends, who stand beside her giving moral support!
The most fascinating part is that the other two are relatively quiet during the initial contractions, but about a minute before the egg pops out, they start piping up and cheering her on! The only sound coming from Kimora is a constant little moan, but that feisty Iman, especially, is crowing out “Breathe! Breathe! Push! Push!” (I can even hear in my head what her voice would sound like if she were human!)
Watch the video in full-screen mode and you’ll even see a film of mucus on the egg as it slides out; that’s known as the bloom, and it’s a natural protective coating that dries within seconds. It’s nature’s way of shielding the egg from bacteria and preventing loss of moisture. (And it’s the reason backyard eggs don’t need to be refrigerated.)
The next time we look at an egg, let’s not forget what it took to reach our plate and why we should cherish it for being the little miracle it is!
42 Comments
Elizabeth A. Salonga
May 4, 2021 at 10:50 amDear Linda,
I have a neighbor who has 24 laying hens and the eggs come in 3 colors namely light green, white and brown . They are free-range hens. Are the eggs of these chickens stay fresh longer in the fridge? how about just leave them on top of the kitchen counter? Thank you and happy farming.
dee
April 18, 2014 at 8:21 amI EnJoyed Watching This And Your Teaching Of The Process.Thank you.
abanister
December 22, 2013 at 11:16 amThank you so much for sharing, We are in the process of our first egg from our first hen. Our boys have been acting weird for the past couple of days. I am unsure as to what I could do for our beloved “showgirl” (that is only her name 🙂 ). But I suppose I should really just leave her alone to do what she does, I wish we had other hens to help her out too. Maybe this one is bring us a hen! 🙂
Linda Ly
December 22, 2013 at 9:54 pmThere’s not much you have to (or can) do on your part for a hen about to lay… just collect the egg and appreciate how it was made! Enjoy your first one!
Elizabeth A. Salonga
May 4, 2021 at 10:49 amDear Linda,
I have a neighbor who has 24 laying hens and the eggs come in 3 colors namely light green, white and brown . They are free-range hens. Are the eggs of these chickens stay fresh longer in the fridge? how about just leave them on top of the kitchen counter? Thank you and happy farming.
rstetradio
October 5, 2013 at 7:42 pmAww, sweet girl <3 and her support hen crew is adorable, too
doccat5
July 20, 2013 at 9:18 amYep,been there, done that and have the T-shirt. Sometimes, so hens are less than cooperative when you go to gather the eggs. LOL
BillNigh
June 28, 2013 at 3:03 pmMT @thegardenbetty: A secret stash of eggs and a lady caught in the act. Video: http://t.co/20UddK8C2n #gardenchat #homesteading
theGardenBetty
June 27, 2013 at 11:04 amRT @uselaine: Heroic hen saves clutch from thieving humans, gives birth on video! http://t.co/fJWXP1GjdF via @theGardenBetty #chickenbutt
Angry_Saguaro
June 27, 2013 at 5:32 amRT @theGardenBetty: You’ll never look at an omelet the same way again. Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/InSrMHtnQb #gardencha…
Erick Cooke
June 26, 2013 at 11:53 pmWow, I had a tear in my eye after watching this. I know from growing up in rural areas that eggs are plentiful, but it is important to realize how much these beautiful birds work to lay our wonderfully fresh eggs! Mahalo to you Kimora!
MelissaJBond
June 26, 2013 at 9:09 pmWOW! Great post about real chickens 🙂 RT @theGardenBetty Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/HlfJ9gZelK #gardenchat
theGardenBetty
June 26, 2013 at 9:02 pmYou’ll never look at an omelet the same way again. Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/InSrMHtnQb #gardenchat #homesteading
theGardenBetty
June 26, 2013 at 3:02 pmA secret stash of eggs and a lady caught in the act. Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/eG5b3ciYlO #gardenchat #homesteading
Jennifer Lipton
June 26, 2013 at 1:16 pmThank you for this! I will appreciate my eggs (and the laying ladies that do so much work) thanks to your blog post and this video!
theGardenBetty
June 26, 2013 at 9:03 amGetting up close and personal with Kimora. Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/4AMowKPWiU #gardenchat #homesteading
Carol Savonen
June 25, 2013 at 11:38 pmCarol Savonen liked this on Facebook.
Linda
June 25, 2013 at 7:33 pmWere the cluster of eggs fertilized, and did they hatch?
Linda Ly
June 26, 2013 at 4:58 pmWe don’t have any roosters so no, they weren’t fertilized. The hens didn’t act broody either… I think they just love to lay in different places once in a while and they like to all lay in the same nest. I actually felt a little guilty for taking all those eggs… so I left a golf ball in there, LOL.
theGardenBetty
June 25, 2013 at 6:02 pmOne of the joys of raising backyard chickens! Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/aqC1y8QXdy #gardenchat #gardening #homesteading
Lydia Ann
June 25, 2013 at 3:23 pmLydia Ann liked this on Facebook.
Sarah
June 25, 2013 at 3:19 pm30 minutes?! Poor chickens, I will remember to appreciate them more.
USelaine
June 25, 2013 at 12:22 pmHeroic hen saves clutch from thieving humans, gives birth on video! http://t.co/ZfFqGXSpob via @TheGardenBetty #youknowwhat #chickenbutt
theGardenBetty
June 25, 2013 at 12:02 pmI caught one in the act! Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/rD8vfkXwNn #gardenchat #gardening #homesteading
Luann Watson
June 25, 2013 at 11:08 amLuann Watson liked this on Facebook.
Kitchen Garden Maui
June 25, 2013 at 11:08 amKitchen Garden Maui liked this on Facebook.
Amy Goo
June 25, 2013 at 11:08 amAmy Goo liked this on Facebook.
Savannah Zendejas
June 25, 2013 at 8:53 amSavannah Zendejas liked this on Facebook.
Kelly Malers
June 25, 2013 at 7:53 amKelly Malers liked this on Facebook.
The Cook's Garden by HGEL
June 25, 2013 at 7:53 amThe Cook’s Garden by HGEL liked this on Facebook.
GreenSoil
June 25, 2013 at 7:34 amRT @HomeGrownEdible: Lovely blog post from Garden Betty about her secretly productive chickens! http://t.co/EdS2ASYJO8
HomeGrownEdible
June 25, 2013 at 7:32 amLovely blog post from Garden Betty about her secretly productive chickens! http://t.co/EdS2ASYJO8
The Cook's Garden by HGEL
June 25, 2013 at 7:31 amLoved it! Thanks!
Lyndia Root
June 25, 2013 at 7:08 amLyndia Root liked this on Facebook.
Sarah Jackson
June 25, 2013 at 7:08 amSarah Jackson liked this on Facebook.
Kristen Miller
June 25, 2013 at 7:08 amKristen Miller liked this on Facebook.
Derek Andrews
June 25, 2013 at 7:08 amDerek Andrews liked this on Facebook.
Lyndia Root
June 25, 2013 at 6:54 amAwesome. One of my hens is on the nest at this very moment. 🙂
Lee Wazowski
June 25, 2013 at 6:23 amLee Wazowski liked this on Facebook.
missioterra
June 25, 2013 at 6:17 amRT @BG_garden: Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg!:
For the last week or two, I’d been noticing that my chickens weren’t layi… http://t.c…
BG_garden
June 25, 2013 at 6:01 amVideo: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg!:
For the last week or two, I’d been noticing that my chickens weren’t layi… http://t.co/zvsfWLCcJa
theGardenBetty
June 25, 2013 at 6:01 amBlogged on Garden Betty: Video: Watch a Chicken Lay an Egg! http://t.co/0lFQvTNdVy