Anita, last year down at the park where I monitor five BB houses I had a pair lay four eggs the first go round and five the second. I am pretty positive it was the same pair. This year down there I have two pairs, both laid five eggs the first go round, four eggs hatched in one and all five in the other. The pair that nested at our house laid four eggs however the male had gone missing after that fourth egg so I am not sure if they would have laid more or not. The pair at the house either had a late nesting as they are just incubating now vs one fledged at the park early this week and the other should fledge this weekend or they had a failed first nesting, who knows.

Donna

So I guess it could be the same pair with an additional egg. Very interesting. Are you saying that the mother bird stopped laying eggs because the father disappeared? Or did I misunderstand? Why would that happen?

Anita

Well, I have no clue but maybe they were only going to lay four eggs. I guess I always thought that they did the swishy swishy for each egg laid. In other years where I observed closer in my yard they always seemed to do it each day of egg laying so I guess I just assumed they had to do it for each egg. TRES seemed to be that way too. I maybe am wrong about that. LOL! I don't know the ins and outs of fertilizing a bird egg. Does doing it one time fertilize all the eggs the female was going to lay?

Donna

Hi Donna, No I don't think they do it for each egg. I used to have a great article about this subject that I posted here but I can't find it. If I remember correctly the sperm can be "held" within the female for 14 days and thus fertilizes each egg as it is formed. If anybody has that article I would love to have a copy of it.

Anita

I found something but I don't think it's the one that I had originally, and I'm such a collector that I have tons of garbage in my favorites and saved but not that article. Anyway I think it's probably the same in most birds.

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS-525-W.pdf

Hey Anita I think that was 3 years ago when we first coined the term "swishy swishy" I think Janie May did that, maybe me I don't remember. I was going to go over and ask my 11 yr old neighbor kid about her Chickens remember? Shortly after that someone sent us detailed info on all the sex and egg laying stuff. Maybe that will help you find it.

Hi Lisa, geeze three years ago, huh? I think I sent that information but I don't have it anymore. Is there a way to look at posts from that far back?

This is from Purdue University dept of Animal Sciences Publication:

"The formation of an egg is a remarkable process that takes just over a day, from ovulation to oviposition. The reproductive tract begins with a mature ovum, which is a bare yolk and germinal disc, and constructs a hard shelled egg, complete with its own protective membranes and the necessary nutrients for the developing embryo. This publication will help you familiarize yourself with the process of formation and understand the
function of various reproductive tract structures.

Major Events in Egg Formation

Ovulation is the release of an ovum from a ruptured follicle.
The ovum drops into the ovarian pocket and within a few
minutes is captured by the infundibulum. Ovulation generally
occurs about a half an hour after the previous egg has been laid.
Fertilization occurs in the infundibulum, which stores sperm for seven to fourteen days following insemination.
Formation occurs as the egg travels down the oviduct and is
encased in the various layers that make up a chicken egg.
Oviposition is the laying of the egg. The uterus (or shell gland)
contracts, forcing the egg out through the vent. Though the egg travels through the oviduct small end first, it is laid large end first.
Egg Formation Timeline
The average time an ovum spends in each structure as it
passes down the oviduct (from Avian Physiology; Sturkie, P.D.)
Infundibulum: _ hour
Magnum: 2-3 hours
Isthmus: 1 _ hour
Uterus: 20-26 hours
Vagina: just a few minutes"