Laying in the middle of night directly from roost?

[hzdjj]

Hi, I have a white leghorn about 8 months old. She was laying fine initially (from 4.5 months old). And then, recent month or so, she started to just lay directly on the roost, and in the middle of night like 2-3AM! (I have recordings that showed it...) I searched on the forum and didn't see a viable solution.

I was suspecting that it might be due to winter and short days and maybe other factors. I was just wondering if anyway I could change this behavior. I noticed that she usually laid and then flew off the roost and went into the roost box for say 2-3 hours until sunrise. I felt somehow her internal clock might have been a bit messed up as well.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hi, I have a white leghorn about 8 months old. She was laying fine initially (from 4.5 months old). And then, recent month or so, she started to just lay directly on the roost, and in the middle of night like 2-3AM! (I have recordings that showed it...) I searched on the forum and didn't see a viable solution.

I was suspecting that it might be due to winter and short days and maybe other factors. I was just wondering if anyway I could change this behavior. I noticed that she usually laid and then flew off the roost and went into the roost box for say 2-3 hours until sunrise. I felt somehow her internal clock might have been a bit messed up as well.

Do you have any fake eggs?

 

[jher77]

My White Leghorns do that occasionally too. I thought it was just because it was time to lay and it just happened to be dark out. Usually if they lay on the roost and the egg cracks, they will eat it before I see it. Nothing left but a greasy spot.

 

[Granny23]

Hi, I have a white leghorn about 8 months old. She was laying fine initially (from 4.5 months old). And then, recent month or so, she started to just lay directly on the roost, and in the middle of night like 2-3AM! (I have recordings that showed it...) I searched on the forum and didn't see a viable solution.

I was suspecting that it might be due to winter and short days and maybe other factors. I was just wondering if anyway I could change this behavior. I noticed that she usually laid and then flew off the roost and went into the roost box for say 2-3 hours until sunrise. I felt somehow her internal clock might have been a bit messed up as well.

We kept finding an egg in the straw onder where my 4 hens roost. Sometimes it was broken in the morning sometimes not. I figured it was one of my RIR's because I know whose eggs are whose.
This morning at 4 am my granddaughter actually saw her lay it from the roost and drop onto the straw!!
We let them out at around 545-615 and that's too late for her it seems. It's also not an every day thing either. Once they are out she has access to the coveted nesting boxes outside the coop but there is one inside the coop and fresh straw on the ground. Ive seen her trying to make a nest in it when I've let them out. The RIR's are about 8 mos.
My barred rock Cookie gets the prime nesting box 2nd usually after the other RIR and she sits on whoevers eggs are there. I take them from her or else she'd try to hatch them.
Thanks for any imput.