Free ranging during day

[TarzansJane]

we have just begun free ranging during the day. So far so good and they are good at going in coop at night then I close the door. My issue is eggs.. Will they begin laying outside? If so will they decide to lay the same place? Or will I have to look for eggs every day in the yard??

 

[chicapee]

I let mine out after I colect the eggs.

 

[AuntNomi]

I also let mine out after I feel they have layed. However mine have only been laying since August 29th, so some are laying and some are not. The other day I had let mine out and while I was cleaning the coop and surrounding areas I had one of my red sexlinks in a frenzy trying to get in the coop. So I moved out of the way and she went straight to the nest box and ended up laying an egg. It was after 4pm, I was sure that any of the ones laying would have done so by then. But I was happy to have her egg. I worry about letting them out to early for that reason also. But I stay with them when they are free ranging, so I don't think I would have too much searching to do if they layed outside of the coop.

 

[Pork Pie]

I also let my chickens out to free range in my garden (sunrise to sundown). With one exception - which only lasted a couple of days, they all return to the coop (which is actually a shed) to lay in the nests.

 

[Teila]

Howdy TarzansJane

My gals supervise free range for a couple of hours in the afternoon but primarily all day on the weekends and yep, they always return to the nest box to lay; to the point that if I have forgotten to prop the run door open for them, they kick up a stink and carry on until it is opened.

 

[aart]

we have just begun free ranging during the day. So far so good and they are good at going in coop at night then I close the door. My issue is eggs.. Will they begin laying outside? If so will they decide to lay the same place? Or will I have to look for eggs every day in the yard??

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 2-3 days can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests.
They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon.
You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it.