Can a chicken delay laying an egg?

[Mudsow]

I have 2 indoor chickens. Bantam Welsummers, one started laying a few weeks ago. Tonight I came home late, the room was dark it was about 9:00. I came in (they are here in my computer room) dimmed the light so I wouldn't bother them and one JUMPED off the roost, and ran into the nest box, sat about an hour and a half and PLOP, laid an egg.

If I had not come in and disrupted their roosting, would she have just laid it in the morning? It was just weird.

Mudsow

 

[Fleabuskitty]

Maybe you just happened to walk in at the right time? It doesn't sound like a coincidence, though... I have no idea, but that is interesting.

 

[Mudsow]

No, they were definitly tucked in for the night. when I turned on the light, it took only like 5 minutes and she went, BAM into the whelping box. Like UhOh, gott an egg coming out! I can't imagine she'd jump down from her roost and back up to the nest box (it's on a shelf in the cage to give them more floor space) while it was dark. They get testy if I don't dim the light for 10 minutes before I leave the room to give them time to get situated. I guess I just didn't think they had that much control over the situation. Maybe they do.

Mudsow