Girls laying soon...?

[concrete_boots]

I think your BR will lay first then EE, then Australorp, and finally Orpingtons.
Nice close-up of the combs. GC

Thanks !
BR looks most devolved..
EE has had a serious jump in comb color almost overnight..
The lavender ORP also looks pretty developed, but the blue splash ORP was the “runt” of the pack in size, feathers, everything since a chick

 

[GC-Raptor]

Their small coop door has been open for over a month now. The run is very secure, but maybe I can start shutting it again at night and not open until late morning ?

Looking at the coop in the pics, I wouldn't lock em in there. Keep em in the run till noon or so. Just check for eggs in the run when you let them free range.
My Barred Rocks are 12 months old and I found an egg under the coop last evening.
It doesn't happen often. GC

 

[aart]

Thanks !
I did add the fake eggs to the nest boxes..I understand they don’t “know” to lay in the boxes right away but I would feel so bad to lock them in the coop. Their small coop door has been open for over a month now. The run is very secure, but maybe I can start shutting it again at night and not open until late morning ? Then don’t let them free range too much for a little while..coop is more than adequate I just feel bad haha. It’s got 2 small 3” round vents and a window..run is plenty big for them to stay in there, we were just having so much fun starting to let the, free range but obviously don’t want to be chasing eggs around the yard.

Eh....you can just wait, if you find eggs where you don't want them, then think about some confinement.

 

[concrete_boots]

Saturday late morning they were all free ranging the yard around 11am our BR was no longer with the flock...she went all the way back in the run, in the coop, in the nest box, sat on the fake egg and laid her own ! First egg !
How are they so smart ?! To know to go to the nest box...amazing
She skipped Sunday (like chick fil A) and popped out her second one today. So cool

 

[aart]

How are they so smart ?! To know to go to the nest box

Fake eggs do help!
Congrats!!

 

[concrete_boots]