Do chickens generally lay eggs before noon

[Viking84]

my chicks are 19 weeks old now and I let them out of the coop at daylight to free range in the yard. To make sure they lay eggs in the coop best boxes instead of the nice shady hedge rows and wooded areas in the yard, could I leave them in the coop until midday? Or will they just wait to lay their eggs after I let them out after noon?

 

[lovingmyhens]

A chickens egg cycle is every 25-26 hours. So eventually they will lay in the morning.

 

[Chris-n-Kate]

That could work, however some may still lay eggs in the afternoon. Try golf balls or fake eggs.

 

[21_chickens]

My chickens just started laying and always lay around 1 pm. I leave access to the nesting boxes and so far all my eggs have been in them. As long as the nesting boxes are the safest spot from predators you should be good. I’ve read that putting herbs in the nesting boxes makes them feel safer and it works for me. Curtains on the nesting boxes also help but Aren’t necessary. Definitely put fake eggs in the nesting boxes cause not only does it show them that it’s safe to lay your eggs there, but when they peck it it also tricks them into thinking that their eggs will taste like that so they won’t get into the habit of eating them. If neither of those work then I would either keep them in the coop until they lay their eggs and then let them out or block off possible safer spots. Hope this helped!

 

[featheredplanets]

My 2yr old Sussex bantam lays at 6pm. No good keeping her in the coop. My pullets lay between 8 am and 11 am though. They don’t wait to go an lay it while free ranging.

 

[aart]

my chicks are 19 weeks old now and I let them out of the coop at daylight to free range in the yard. To make sure they lay eggs in the coop best boxes instead of the nice shady hedge rows and wooded areas in the yard, could I leave them in the coop until midday? Or will they just wait to lay their eggs after I let them out after noon?

Newly laying pullets can lay any time of the day....or night.
It can take up to a month or so for things to smooth out.
Confining them to coop and run is a good idea once they start laying.
Here some tips on how to tell...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
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 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.


Most of my birds usually lay between 8am-4pm,
but hard to set your clock by a live animal.
It takes about 25 hours for an egg to form, a new ova is released shortly after an egg is laid.
A new egg could be laid approximately every 25-26 hours, so an hour or so later every day until one is laid late in the day and another ova might not be released until the following day, so a day off. BUT..very hen is different and only time will tell what a particular hen/pullets schedule might be. Not every hen/pullet lays every day..some only lay a few a week.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I currently have pullets laying from 8 a.m. until around 6:30 p.m.
I agree with @aart confining them to the run temporarily might be your best bet

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Prolific new layers will be on a 25-26 hour cycle as @lovingmyhens stated.
That timing dictates that about 80-85% of the eggs will be laid before noon and most of those within a couple hours of dawn.
But every bird, unless they are not prolific layers, will produce and egg in the afternoon at least a couple days a month.