I let mine out after noon, except for 1 hen that is wanting to hide her nest. I know what time she lays (every 26 hours like clock work) and make sure when her time is near she is in the pen. But I can be here all day if I need/want to. I also use a light in the coop to keep production up, on @ 3:30 am off @ 5:30 pm. Using this my young girls have mostly layed by the time it is light outside. My problem child is on the nest now and in the next 10 minutes she will drop her egg and be off. (8:30 today 10:30 tomorrow, yesterday was her skip day)
