How to get hens to start laying??

They want to lay someplace "safe" so usually it is the hen house. I wouldn't interupt their free ranging, that is the highlight of their day!
Every year during nice weather I MUST go on lock up and limit free ranging to very late afternoon only for about a week (then reassess).. as there are lots of wonderful spots to hide a nest here, deep inside the blackberries. And the folly of a few effects the many, is the unfortunate reality of SO many things in this life. By the end of a week, I can know how many eggs I should be expecting. Once trained to the box they usually comply. One girl EVERY spring would go hide a nest. While I agree that ranging is a highlight of their day.. sometimes it is important to do the less desirable short term action to achieve a more desirable long term outcome.

Previous years I got to pay attention and casually bust the nest myself.. This year my mini-pig has been finding them before me, and needless to say I think she likes eggs! 🐖

One girl getting the idea can spread it like wildfire. Monkey see, chicken do!

Just the other day I watched a hen standing outside a bush. I thought she was waiting her turn as that's a pretty good give away. Turned out she was watching her rooster (cockerel) show her a place he thought was great for nesting. I saw him exit. She entered, He stood watch. When she came out singing (false alarm as it was practice only), he was so proud. He crowed and escorted her to the feed station! :love

Adding more light in the summer? We already have super long days.
It may seem the dead of summer to some of us, I see you're in the southern US.. but days have already started getting MUCH shorter (every since June 21 to be exact) at my location.. you add that it's also not getting light a 5 am-ish anymore, the giant redwoods shading everything, and the foggy mornings that last past noon or sometimes ALL day (it was like winter last week).. YEP, I've already lost an hour of evening light (and maybe the same in the morning) since the summer solstice.

Anyways, I TRY to never presume anyone's situation, and not knowing the OP's location.. that was my statement.. as means of sharing maximum information so folks can make their own informed choices, according to their situation. I've really learned to open my mind to other possibilities and that what's right or not right for me may have no relevance to another's circumstance, and to think outside the box since being blessed by having the broad experiences and support of BYC community in my life! :wee

Oh that is good to know, I had no idea!! They are outside most all day unless they go into their coop (which they can come back out of)... Do you think I need to make sure there is more light inside the actual coop? We have 5 windows (2 bigger, 3 smaller - more like vent size).
It doesn't sound like you need to worry about it really, I would just be patient. :)

Some folks use artificial light. Many, including myself let nature take it's course mostly. It's a personal choice that you can research and see how YOU feel about it. Consider adding your general location to your profile as well. I think you can see how it's relevant in some discussions and it can help some folks make their best suggestions possible at a glance. ;)

For me added light time inside my coop.. extending mornings or evenings would just be added flock antics from being bored and crowing (I think). As I don't currently keep any feed or water in my coop for rodent control and setting my alarm to go feed ain't gonna happen.
 
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Every year during nice weather I MUST go on lock up and limit free ranging to very late afternoon only for about a week (then reassess).. as there are lots of wonderful spots to hide a nest here, deep inside the blackberries. And the folly of a few effects the many, is the unfortunate reality of SO many things in this life. By the end of a week, I can know how many eggs I should be expecting. Once trained to the box they usually comply. One girl EVERY spring would go hide a nest. While I agree that ranging is a highlight of their day.. sometimes it is important to do the less desirable short term action to achieve a more desirable long term outcome.

Previous years I got to pay attention and casually bust the nest myself.. This year my mini-pig has been finding them before me, and needless to say I think she likes eggs! 🐖

One girl getting the idea can spread it like wildfire. Monkey see, chicken do!

Just the other day I watched a hen standing outside a bush. I thought she was waiting her turn as that's a pretty good give away. Turned out she was watching her rooster (cockerel) show her a place he thought was great for nesting. I saw him exit. She entered, He stood watch. When she came out singing (false alarm as it was practice only), he was so proud. He crowed and escorted her to the feed station! :love


It may seem the dead of summer to some of us, I see you're in the southern US.. but days have already started getting MUCH shorter (every since June 21 to be exact) at my location.. you add that it's also not getting light a 5 am-ish anymore, the giant redwoods shading everything, and the foggy mornings that last past noon or sometimes ALL day (it was like winter last week).. YEP, I've already lost an hour of evening light (and maybe the same in the morning) since the summer solstice.

Anyways, I TRY to never presume anyone's situation, and not knowing the OP's location.. that was my statement.. as means of sharing maximum information so folks can make their own informed choices, according to their situation. I've really learned to open my mind to other possibilities and that what's right or not right for me may have no relevance to another's circumstance, and to think outside the box since being blessed by having the broad experiences and support of BYC community in my life! :wee


It doesn't sound like you need to worry about it really, I would just be patient. :)

Some folks use artificial light. Many, including myself let nature take it's course mostly. It's a personal choice that you can research and see how YOU feel about it. Consider adding your general location to your profile as well. I think you can see how it's relevant in some discussions and it can help some folks make their best suggestions possible at a glance. ;)

For me added light time inside my coop.. extending mornings or evenings would just be added flock antics from being bored and crowing (I think). As I don't currently keep any feed or water in my coop for rodent control and setting my alarm to go feed ain't gonna happen.
Oh my goodness that is adorable about your hen and rooster!!! 🥰I will definitely add my location, thanks for telling me that! I'm still really new to this awesome community and am still learning 😊. We are in central Kentucky and the sun is now starting to rise around 6:45ish and is setting around 8:30 so we have definitely lost an hour of the daylight already (in the peak of June the sun doesn't set until close to 9:30/9:45, it's crazy!). I will do some research on the light and see if it's something we want to consider.... I typically just let nature do it's thing like you but I'm still so new to chicken nature that I don't really know the difference with a lot of things! We don't keep any food in our coop either. We have a bottle of water hanging from the side for water if they need it but they honestly never really drink from it... I'm with you on the alarm thing!! 🤣🤣
 
One more question - is it a problem if I let them out to free range again? Or will they start laying somewhere in our yard?
You might want to confine them for most the day until they get in the habit of using the coop nests.

Do you think I need to make sure there is more light inside the actual coop?
I would not advise to add light for newly laying pullets.
Maybe next mid-late December after their molt tho.
 

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