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!
40 Comments
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
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Amy Goo
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Savannah Zendejas
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Kelly Malers
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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