Egg laying at night?

[blake101]

Okay stupid question time. Will a hen lay at night, or is it just a day time thing?

 

[itsachicken]

I don't think it's a stupid question! I know that chickens don't lay their eggs at exact 24 hr intervals and therefore, their laying time can shift. However, I've never known a chicken to do anything productive after dark. Except producing compost worthy material, of course.

 

[Kittymomma]

They don't really lay at night. Occasionally I've had a pullet drop an egg from the roost overnight, but it's quite rare and I've never had an established layer do that.

 

[junglebean]

I am curious about this too. My hens, who just started laying last week, have no schedule. Morning, night, whenever.

 

[bakerjw]

2 of my TSC pullets dropped eggs from their roost over night a couple of nights ago. They were my first 2 eggs too. One smashed pretty badly and the other was cracked too badly for me to want to use it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree. Not a stupid question at all. When pullets first starts laying, many will find a way to the nest the first time and have everything under control. However, a whole lot of them will drop their first few eggs wherever they happen to be when the urge hits them, whether that is on the roost or walking around the coop or run. It is like they don't know what is going on. After a while, and usually very quickly, they learn body control and start laying in the same spot during the day.

I think I am extremely unusual because I did have one that consistently laid from the roost for over three weeks. It was extremely difficult to figure out which one it was, but I finally did. Since I eat my chickens and it was time to reduce the size of my flock anyway, I was grateful for her to voluntarily make my decision easier as to which one to invite as a guest of honor to my crock pot. I'd hope she would have eventually figured ot out, but she did not in three weeks. As I said, that was very unusual. They are living things and anything can happen.

 

[BarefootMom]

if you have a light on they will lay at night. We have our coop seperated right now and have our babies on one end, with the heat bulb on all night. It isn't much light, but our hens have been laying some at night now. Usually they lay their eggs for the most part from 10am-12pm and then I will have a few in the late after noon. I go and get eggs 3-4 times a day.