Am I discouraging egg laying by letting chickens out in the morning?

[gandalf_of_chickens]

Hi all,

Three of our eight hens have started to lay in the past week. We've gotten 3 eggs on a few days, 2 eggs on a few others, and unfortunately just 1 egg today. I have a question about letting chickens out in the morning, since ours that are laying seem to be doing so between 7am and noon. From other threads here, this seems to be a common window. We normally let them out between 7am and 9am and they free range until sundown.

Just wondering: would waiting until later in the morning to let them out encourage more laying?? Or will they go back into the coop when they're ready to lay? I've been checking in the bushes and trees around the house and haven't found any eggs there. Because we have other things going on with work and kids I don't have much time to just sit out there and observe them in the morning so I'm not sure what they're up to!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hi all,

Three of our eight hens have started to lay in the past week. We've gotten 3 eggs on a few days, 2 eggs on a few others, and unfortunately just 1 egg today. I have a question about letting chickens out in the morning, since ours that are laying seem to be doing so between 7am and noon. From other threads here, this seems to be a common window. We normally let them out between 7am and 9am and they free range until sundown.

Just wondering: would waiting until later in the morning to let them out encourage more laying?? Or will they go back into the coop when they're ready to lay? I've been checking in the bushes and trees around the house and haven't found any eggs there. Because we have other things going on with work and kids I don't have much time to just sit out there and observe them in the morning so I'm not sure what they're up to!

Congrats on the eggs! They may be laying elsewhere. And it's very common for new layers to be inconsistent. You can try letting them out later and see if it makes a difference.

(edited for word salad! new phone with weird keyboard settings. so sorry!)

 

[Sussex19]

I don't think you are discouraging by letting them out, if they need to lay, they will lay never mind if they can get to the nesting box or not.
However, if they are finding it hard to get back to the nest, or are not quite sure what to do yet, then there is a good chance they are laying somewhere else, so keeping them in a bit longer might help.

 

[aart]

Hi all,

Three of our eight hens have started to lay in the past week. We've gotten 3 eggs on a few days, 2 eggs on a few others, and unfortunately just 1 egg today. I have a question about letting chickens out in the morning, since ours that are laying seem to be doing so between 7am and noon. From other threads here, this seems to be a common window. We normally let them out between 7am and 9am and they free range until sundown.

Just wondering: would waiting until later in the morning to let them out encourage more laying?? Or will they go back into the coop when they're ready to lay? I've been checking in the bushes and trees around the house and haven't found any eggs there. Because we have other things going on with work and kids I don't have much time to just sit out there and observe them in the morning so I'm not sure what they're up to!

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Meri Maura]

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

I used to have a hen who suddenly started laying eggs in my tractor, then I had to keep the chooks in their pen for a day and she quit. (And then started again several days later)