Do hens leave flock to go to coop to lay eggs?

[Kay-SCL]

I have read so much, but as you can see the question is kinda long for a search. At any rate... My chickens free range and haven’t started laying yet, but should be close. My question is... will they just leave the flock and go back to the coop to lay their eggs? I have all the nesting boxes set up and ready to go, with the golf ball and yummy scents. They have been exposed to them for about a week now and from the looks of things none of them have entered so far.
I have read every things I could find to make sure everything is set up as it should be. I also know that they could lay outside when they free range.
Another question I guess would be that if they have this one place that they go to everyday day to chill, would this be the place they would prefer to lay (all together) or will they leave and go private. Should I perhaps put a nesting box there, or try to make sure they go back to coop to lay?

Thanks for listening to the rambling

 

[Sammi_0411]

I got my gals at 18 weeks they free range few weeks later when started to lay they all each leave rest of them to lay an egg in the nest. Dont worry to much they smart animals xxx

 

[Kay-SCL]

I got my gals at 18 weeks they free range few weeks later when started to lay they all each leave rest of them to lay an egg in the nest. Dont worry to much they smart animals xxx

Thank you so much, I was hoping that was the answer

 

[RainbowHen]

Yes they will. In the beginning they may lay in bushes and random place so you may want to lock them up if you discover eggs outside the coop.

 

[Sammi_0411]

Just keep an eye on them if u can trust me when they lay their first egg you know

 

[springvalley123]

I have read so much, but as you can see the question is kinda long for a search. At any rate... My chickens free range and haven’t started laying yet, but should be close. My question is... will they just leave the flock and go back to the coop to lay their eggs? I have all the nesting boxes set up and ready to go, with the golf ball and yummy scents. They have been exposed to them for about a week now and from the looks of things none of them have entered so far.
I have read every things I could find to make sure everything is set up as it should be. I also know that they could lay outside when they free range.
Another question I guess would be that if they have this one place that they go to everyday day to chill, would this be the place they would prefer to lay (all together) or will they leave and go private. Should I perhaps put a nesting box there, or try to make sure they go back to coop to lay?

Thanks for listening to the rambling

Hi, this is an exciting time for you!
When my leghorns started, it was more of a group activity. I had the nestbox in place, and they knew what it was. Maybe instinct, the fake eggs... All my birds I've had have spent some time in the boxes before they start laying. I've always free ranged whatever I had, and only got stray eggs when they were new to laying.
They may start doing the egg "song" for days before they actually lay also. It is quite alarming, sounds like a predator alert!
The birds can lay at very different times of the day, and they usually leave the group to go lay, and then call out and find them again. Often groups of birds do the egg song when one of them lays, is about to, or has laid recently. But they also make other sounds to find the rest of the flock to rejoin after laying.
As for a preferred place, I'd look at what the qualities of the "chill place" are, vs the nest box area you've set up. Is it shadier, quieter, seem more protected?
Of course, pictures would help of the chill area and the pen/coop/nestboxes.

 

[gtaus]

I have read that a better strategy is to keep the birds confined to a chicken run and coop until they are laying eggs in the nest boxes in the coop. Then you have a better chance of letting them free range and not laying eggs behind the bushes or in tall grass, etc... When my girls first started laying eggs, most of them put their eggs in the nest boxes with my fake eggs. However, there were a few eggs discovered in the chicken run which I was able to gather up easily. About a week or so and all the eggs were in the nest boxes.

Same idea goes for teaching the chickens to go back into the coop at night to roost. If they are allowed to free range, you might be climbing trees in the evening to collect your birds. Again, once they know the coop is the safe place to roost at night, then you have better luck allowing them to free range without having to go out searching with a flashlight at night looking for lost birds.

Because of predator concerns, I don't allow my birds to free range. But they do enjoy a good sized chicken run. The flock remains outside most of the day, and a hen will leave the flock to go lay her egg in the chicken coop nest box. When done laying an egg, you usually hear their egg song. From what I understand, the egg song is to let the other chickens in the flock know that she is coming back to join them. If that is not correct, maybe someone can provide us with a better explanation.

I would not put a nest box in any place outside that the chickens "chill out" because I think it would send a mixed message to the girls that it's OK to lay her egg in the coop, or outside where it's nice. For my sake, I prefer to have my hens lay their eggs in their coop nest boxes where I have easy access to them, all in one place, and can gather the eggs without disturbing the flock.

At any rate, I hope you post a new thread with your first egg arrival and add a picture. Lots of people enjoy reliving that first egg day feeling. You work so hard to get your birds to that stage, and it's just good to share the news with the BYC community. Best wishes.