Laying spot question

[meshelley53]

Do hens lay in the same area on a regular basis?
I ask because now that it is colder and gets dark at 5:30 I've going to let my hens free range during the day while I'm at work. They tend to be early afternoon layers so I don't really want to have to search my whole yard for the eggs they lay when I get home. Up to this point I have let them free range in the evenings after I got home from work and they had already laid for the day.

 

[Percheron chick]

They could continue to lay in the coop but chances are some will take the opportunity to find a "better" place. One you have to search high and low for. Once you find that spot and remove the eggs, she'll find another secret spot. I've got 3 EEs that will lay someplace different everyday if they are out at laying time. They rest go back to the coop.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

How long have they been laying?

 

[meshelley53]

The hens are all about year old. They have been in my coop for about 2 months.
Yesterday I found two eggs in their normal laying spot but didn't search the yard for any others since I tend to only get a couple a day.
(They normally use the litter box shown in my profile picture for laying)