Hens all wanna lay in the doghouse

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I have a question. I have 24 girls and about half of them are laying. They all lay in the old doghouse and I'm fine with that because the eggs are always clean and we weren't using it for anything else. The thing is, they only wanna lay in there two girls at a time even though the doghouse is huge, and when two are in there, sometimes I will have a line of three or so other girls waiting their turn. My question is, is the doghouse too crowded? Most of the time my girls are done laying at around 1pm. Let's say there are a few girls that don't get an empty doghouse until then. Would they just decide not to lay because they think it's too late for that day or if they have an egg ready to go is it inevitable that they will lay it the day it's ready? My husband thinks it may be affecting our egg quota and I'm on the fence about it. Help please!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Laying is often a solemn gathering and ritualistic in nature. I know it sounds crazy, but everyone of our layers sit around the nests in hushed silence while the upper tier hens of the pecking order lay. All of them seem to watch in silence befitting royalty. One by one, they all get their turn. I've got 16 hens all using two boxes. That's their nature to pile up a clutch. Two other nests go completely unused.

I'd not worry about some "holding back". I don't think that is likely. Your doghouse would fit the definition of a community nest. If it is huge, as you say, then as many as 4 or 5 hens "could" likely lay in one shift. That they do or don't is dependent upon their own flock rules and who are we to figure those out? BTW, they like the doghouse because it is dark and wonderful to them.