# Gap between first and next egg?



## Snake Eyes (Aug 23, 2017)

Hi Guys - I'm new here and fairly new to the chicken game altogether.
I only have three - an Australorp, a Platinum Sussex and a Light Sussex, all about 6 months old. Anyway, one of them laid an egg 10 days ago (on the ground, in the coop). It was small (as expected) and brown - which tends to indicate the Australorp to me?

However, I have had nothing since.
I check the nesting boxes and coop every day. Look all round the yard and in the gardens to see if they've laid one there - but nada.

I expected some infrequency in the early stages, but not quite this long between eggs.

Is this a normal thing? Should I expect another shortly?

Just wondering what the go is with these things?

Cheers,

Snakey


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Hi Snake Eyes! It may take a month or so while their bodies are maturing for them to be regular. Every chicken is different and yes they may lay one then it maybe a while before another one appears.

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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Welcome to the forum and the addiction of chicken keeping.

What Patty said. If you are providing them the proper diet and meet all the rest of their needs it won't be long and you'll be over loaded with eggs.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Welcome to the forum. Give it time like the others mentioned. Once they start laying regularly, you should get an egg from each one of them every 24 hours. Eggs will be small at first but will get bigger eventually.


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## Snake Eyes (Aug 23, 2017)

Excellent. Thanks guys.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

You guys are almost in springtime which means the chickens might molt soon.When they molt,they don't lay.Mine are molting for the winter and my daily egg production is way down-3 eggs out of 24 hens.Freeloaders......


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## Snake Eyes (Aug 23, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> You guys are almost in springtime which means the chickens might molt soon.When they molt,they don't lay.Mine are molting for the winter and my daily egg production is way down-3 eggs out of 24 hens.Freeloaders......


Yes there are a lot of feathers blowing around the yard and the weather is definitely getting warmer. I'll just have to sit back and see I guess. They're very healthy and happy, with plenty of room to run around - so that could be it.

Thanks.


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## Snake Eyes (Aug 23, 2017)

I got home from work yesterday morning and checked the coop for eggs. Still nada. 
One of them laid a single egg on the ground, in the coop about 2 weeks ago - nothing since.

Anyway - not only were there no more eggs, but there were only two chooks!
My big Platinum Sussex Nicky, had disappeared.

I was devastated.

I did four laps of the yard looking for her. In the gardens, behind the shed, over the neighbour's fences, under the table, under the barbie - no sign.
There were no feathers around - so it appeared she hadn't been attacked.

Dad went out - same thing, same result.

So I walked the streets a bit looking for her - nothing.

Drove around the block - nothing (though it is amazing how many people have cement chickens and ducks in their front yards!).

I said to the Old Man "I'm gonna wander over here and check across the road - though it is beyond me why a chicken might wanna go there!"









Anyway - Mum calls us back - the chicken is in the back yard!
WHAT?? WHERE???

Turns out she just appeared like magic from the back garden and wandered up the yard.
Beauty.

Get up today - same bloody deal!
No eggs, no bloody Nicky.
I did the rounds again - paying close attention to the back garden. Nothing.

So the old man wanders down - returns 5 minutes later and says - 'I found her. You got a basket?'

What?
(See below for the explanation)


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Well there you go, congratulations!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Free ranging chickens can keep you on your toes. I'm just glad she's fine and not a victim of foul or fowl play.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

To check egg freshness,put in water.If it sinks,it's good.If it stands up,it's an older egg but good for cooking.If it floats,it's a bad egg.


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> To check egg freshness,put in water.If it sinks,it's good.If it stands up,it's an older egg but good for cooking.If it floats,it's a bad egg.


Chickenqueen- do you know how long an egg can be out after being laid before it could potentially be bad?? Im new to this too and I love your comment about how to check them. I actually wrote that down. Haha


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I'm not CQ, but I grew up in the hot summers of West Texas. Our chickens were free range in the truest sense. We would find clutches of eggs under a tree with several dozen eggs. Mom would test them like CQ. It they sank we kept them, if they floated they got tossed.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Chicken Forum mobile app


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## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

nannypattyrn said:


> I'm not CQ, but I grew up in the hot summers of West Texas. Our chickens were free range in the truest sense. We would find clutches of eggs under a tree with several dozen eggs. Mom would test them like CQ. It they sank we kept them, if they floated they got tossed.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Chicken Forum mobile app


Thank you Nannypattyrn! I have 24 chickens and the oldest just started laying. They are about 18 weeks old. We've been getting up to 3 a day right now but im sure as the others start laying we will be finding them everywhere.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

The rule of thumb I follow for collecting fertile eggs for incubating is 7 days and keep them in a cool,dry place.As for leaving eggs on the counter,I've heard/read many contradicting theories.One states if the egg is unwashed,it will last indefinitely but I don't believe that.I would give them no more than a week before putting them in the fridge for consumption.Plus,you can always use the freshness test,which I'm glad you could use.


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