3 out of 4 laying

Date sort Score sort
Travilah

Travilah

In the Brooder
8 Years
Mar 28, 2011
57
3
39
Myersville, Maryland
I have recently been adopted (3 weeks ago) by 4 8mth old laying hens - the fellow I got them from said they are probably Golden Comets (a sex-linked comet cross?). They are all healthy and robust, and free range happily during the day. I consistently get three eggs per day, and occasionally a fourth.

My quandry - is the fourth hen laying sporadically? Is she maybe laying outside somewhere? Is another hen being especially efficient, and laying two a day, and one hen not laying at all? Basically, how do I approach this? Should I confine them for a few days in their 10 x 10 run to force them all to lay inside in case that is the issue? I know they will not be happy with me if I do that, but really do not want anyone laying outside the coop, as I will NEVER find those eggs.
 
Chickens are not vending machines. They do not lay eggs everyday.

The fastest chicken in the world still only lays an egg every 27 to 36 hours. So, if one hen lays an egg at 8 AM, the next day she will lay at 11, then he next day 4 PM, and so on.

If it is dark when she needs to lay the egg, she'll hold it until the next morning.
 
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Thanks! Did not mean to insult my girls, just wanted to be sure that I was doing right by them. And I really would prefer that they do not lay outside the coop if I can avoid it. They each have slightly different colored brown eggs, but I have not yet been able to "catch them in the act", know they wouldn't like that anyway, so do not know which hens lays which variant of brown (light brown, slightly darker, speckled brown).

This is a great website, glad to have found it!
 
I know you weren't insulting your ladies. Sometimes my egg customers get all butt-hurt when there aren't any eggies.

I've starting inviting them over so they can squeeze the eggs out of the chickens themselves.


Chickens dont like to be squozen.
 
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Contain them for a couple of days. See what you get.
Different strains/breeds lay much quicker than 27 hours. Commercial strains will lay 24 hr. cycle like clock work. More traditional hens can lay on a slower cycle. If your hens are golden hybrids, which it appears they are, with good health and nutrition, they'll lay wonderfully.

Again, contain them for a couple days and see what's happening. I sometimes pull up a chair during the early morning laying routine and chart their "who's up first, second and third" batting order.
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When I had chickens they would usually finish laying by 11:00 am but not always. I would find eggs at all times of the day and in different places including under the car. Since they're freeranging during the day there might be a hidden nest somewhere.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

The consistency of the three eggs a day might mean they are an organized flock, routinely giving one a day off, somebody just isn't really laying much, or there is a nest somewhere out in the yard, woods, barn, horse fields, etc. I am going to see what happens the rest of the week, and perhaps consider locking them in for a day or two if no changes seen. Might make my neighbor come lock em in that time so they do not associate longterm captivity with me! LOL

Thees girls are for the experience and joy of being owned by hens; the eggs are a nice gift. BTW, I just scored a Little Tykes playhouse from craig's list, and will be fashioning them a new digs soon.
 

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