Is my silver laced cochin laying an egg?

[onceuponaroost]

During our evening routine of closing the run and the coop, we found 3 (of our 4) chickens on top of the 6' run. Our 4th chicken was inside the open coop in the nesting box . They only were opened up recently and they never go in them. At this point it is completely dark out and the other chickens were hesitant to enter the coop.
Was she trying to lay? Couldn't feel any egg under her but just felt around a little.
This is our first time raising chickens, any input would be great. :cd

 

[Pork Pie]

Assuming she has not yet begun laying, she could be laying, or maybe having a practice run at laying. Its a confusing time for chickens.

Are the nest boxes lower than the roosts?

Is it normal for the other flock members to stay outside the coop? I would doubt that a hen in a nest would deter the others from entering the coop. It could possibly be related to mites or something that is disturbing them in the coop.

Ct

 

[Happy Chooks]

She probably didn't get up to the roost before dark. Chickens cannot see well in the dark. How old is she? Depending on her age, she could have been practicing in the nest and dark came.

 

[onceuponaroost]

Well, here's the odd part about our chickens. They don't roost themselves in the coop. We can't figure it out. They go in the coop and my husband has to put them up on the roost. They are extremely social with us and just very friendly in general. Their roost is a little over two feet taller than the nesting boxes and at least two feet away in floor distance from the boxes as well (they are external nesting boxes).
There is no egg there this morning. The coop was just cleaned and nothing else was out of the ordinary.
They always go in together at dusk, like clockwork.
We'll keep watching them and replace the shavings again just in case.

Thank you for the input! I'll try and post a picture of the coop/run so it is more clear.

 

[aart]

Well, here's the odd part about our chickens. They don't roost themselves in the coop. We can't figure it out. They go in the coop and my husband has to put them up on the roost. They are extremely social with us and just very friendly in general. Their roost is a little over two feet taller than the nesting boxes and at least two feet away in floor distance from the boxes as well (they are external nesting boxes).
There is no egg there this morning. The coop was just cleaned and nothing else was out of the ordinary.
They always go in together at dusk, like clockwork.
We'll keep watching them and replace the shavings again just in case.

Thank you for the input! I'll try and post a picture of the coop/run so it is more clear.

Cleaning the coop can be a big change to the chickens...mine are always a bit perplexed when I change the shavings.
Please do post pics of cop inside and out.

 

[onceuponaroost]