Actual time it takes to push an egg out?

[Possum-Pie]

Every search for "how long does it take to lay an egg" gives results telling time from birth. I'm looking for how much time from a hen to hop up in a nesting box until the egg is laid. I have a hen who is beginning to experiment with egg-eating. I've been keeping a close eye on the nesting boxes with my coop cam and try to run out there if I see an egg. I have hens who hop up in the box and sit for an hour before laying, some who quickly lay and hop out, and some who hop in and out without producing an egg. I know it varies, but does any know a rough average time from hopping into the box to actually laying? There must be some "feeling" they get to prompt them to seek out the nesting box. They also must be able to "hold off" on laying the egg b/c many times hens in the nesting boxes will jump down and run outside if they hear me coming with treats.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Every search for "how long does it take to lay an egg" gives results telling time from birth. I'm looking for how much time from a hen to hop up in a nesting box until the egg is laid. I have a hen who is beginning to experiment with egg-eating. I've been keeping a close eye on the nesting boxes with my coop cam and try to run out there if I see an egg. I have hens who hop up in the box and sit for an hour before laying, some who quickly lay and hop out, and some who hop in and out without producing an egg. I know it varies, but does any know a rough average time from hopping into the box to actually laying? There must be some "feeling" they get to prompt them to seek out the nesting box. They also must be able to "hold off" on laying the egg b/c many times hens in the nesting boxes will jump down and run outside if they hear me coming with treats.

Sitting time before egg is generally 15-30 minutes. Egg laying itself is between 1-3 minutes. Some push eggs out like they're nothing. It's a slight variation.

 

[Possum-Pie]

Thanks, MysteryChicken. This morning I watched a Bard Rock hen hop up in the box, stomp her feet, circle around, sit down, stand up, etc. for 15 min or more and then hop down and go back outside. As of 4 hours later, she never did lay. Sometimes there is a "victory cry" from the hens (and rooster) after an egg is laid, but I've heard it even when nothing was laid so It remains a mystery. My small E.E. lays a beautiful blue-green egg minutes after she hops into the box, so it can be a speedy process.

I've just started getting eggs again having not gotten a single egg since before Halloween. As I said I was horrified to see an Austrolorp pecking at an egg a few days ago, and have since had 2 more with small peck marks although she hasn't broken and eaten one yet. I am just trying to stop that behavior from starting as she has never done it before in 3 years

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thanks, MysteryChicken. This morning I watched a Bard Rock hen hop up in the box, stomp her feet, circle around, sit down, stand up, etc. for 15 min or more and then hop down and go back outside. As of 4 hours later, she never did lay. Sometimes there is a "victory cry" from the hens (and rooster) after an egg is laid, but I've heard it even when nothing was laid so It remains a mystery. My small E.E. lays a beautiful blue-green egg minutes after she hops into the box, so it can be a speedy process.

I've just started getting eggs again having not gotten a single egg since before Halloween. As I said I was horrified to see an Austrolorp pecking at an egg a few days ago, and have since had 2 more with small peck marks although she hasn't broken and eaten one yet. I am just trying to stop that behavior from starting as she has never done it before in 3 years

Some hens will jump in, & out of the nesting box before actually laying an egg in the nesting box. But another possibility is that she's actually internally laying, which is a reproductive disorder that's not curable.

 

[Possum-Pie]

Thanks, yeah I doubt she has that problem, she has been doing this since she started laying a year and a half ago...some humans are in and out of the bathroom quickly, and others are "potty sitters" who spend much time in the bathroom I'm thinking that she is just a "potty sitter"

 

[rosemarythyme]

Assuming you mean the time from when they actually pick a box and settle in (instead of running in and out and wandering around, as some birds have a long set up time before they actually settle down to get to it), I've timed it between 10 to 45 minutes.

 

[Possum-Pie]

Thanks Rosemarythyme. I love your username, Simon and Garfunkel "Live in Central Park" is one of my all-time favorite albums.

Just one egg today from 6 hens, but they are just starting to lay again after a 3+ month vacation.

 

[Iluveggers]

Thanks, MysteryChicken. This morning I watched a Bard Rock hen hop up in the box, stomp her feet, circle around, sit down, stand up, etc. for 15 min or more and then hop down and go back outside. As of 4 hours later, she never did lay. Sometimes there is a "victory cry" from the hens (and rooster) after an egg is laid, but I've heard it even when nothing was laid so It remains a mystery. My small E.E. lays a beautiful blue-green egg minutes after she hops into the box, so it can be a speedy process.

I've just started getting eggs again having not gotten a single egg since before Halloween. As I said I was horrified to see an Austrolorp pecking at an egg a few days ago, and have since had 2 more with small peck marks although she hasn't broken and eaten one yet. I am just trying to stop that behavior from starting as she has never done it before in 3 years

As a side note about egg pecking, maybe try leaving a bunch of fake wooden eggs in the nest boxes? She may realize nothing fun is happening when pecking, and hopefully stop the egg eating before it becomes a habit.

 

[Possum-Pie]

The strange thing is that she isn't eating the egg, nor is she pecking any other eggs in other nesting boxes. It doesn't happen every day either, maybe twice/week and always on the pointy end of the egg. I wondered if maybe it was getting cracked if she stood while laying and it fell to the box floor. I keep straw in the boxes but they always seem to push the straw out to the edges exposing the plywood.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I would say the time it takes a hen to lay an egg after she sits down and begins pushing is about fifteen minutes, but they do take a ton of time out to just search for a place to lay an egg. My Easter Egger Bantam, April, spends about an hour running around and making an annoyed squawking sound (not an egg song, something different) while trying to find a good nesting location. She is very picky and changes up her places constantly.