Night Laying and seclusion

[Jakico]

I have 5 mixed pullets three of which are laying. The runt of my flock is a tiny little skittish Easter Egger named fizzgig. She started laying about two weeks ago. The first two eggs were found in the community nesting box. One day I realized she can fly quite high when I found she escaped the chicken run and was bounding around the top of the roof. After luring her down she laid a very sudden egg in the floor of the coop. The next day I came home to find her escaped once more during her time away from the flock built a little nest out of leaves and laid an egg in a hidden corner. Today I left the coop closed, no one had laid an egg. She followed me into the shed which was unusual for her and hid in a corner and started scratching the floor, she left flew around the the highest point and returned to her hidden corner this process continued for two hours and she became more and more frantic and squawky. I was concerned she was sick. I checked her crop and vent. I noticed she had not pooped the entire time she was in the shed but took water and food. Finally seeing she was hell bent on being hidden I filled a Rubbermaid with straw and covered the lid 2/3rd with a blanket. She immediately calmed down. I placed a wooded egg next to her and sat quietly in a corner. 30 minutes later she chirped a little and laid an egg. This was at 630 at night. Afterward she pushed the wooden egg and her new egg together and sat on them. I removed her and put her back in the coop with her sisters. This is the second egg she has laid at night and another chicken laid past 5pm the night before. I’m confused if she’s gone broody and is trying to hide her eggs by laying outside the coop and run or in darkness. The flock had some disturbances as we had to rehome a rooster just last week so maybe they are just adjusting? But everything I’ve read says chickens should not be laying this late? Sorry for how long this post is....but any ideas or similar experiences?

 

[azygous]

She's a new layer, and it's not uncommon for them to be unpredictable about laying, where as well as when. My EEs have been very intelligent and charming little critters. They usually become quite vocal when they are getting ready to lay an egg. That's good, as you've discovered. You can monitor their habits that way.

I've found that each hen has her own preferences about where to lay. Some are fickle and will start out in one nest, get dissatisfied and end up in another nest to finally lay the egg. Try to figure out what she wants and provide it for her. I think you may have just managed to do that.

It's also not unusual for a new layer to lay in the dark hours of the morning or even in the early evening. Eventually they get into a normal egg laying cycle.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I have three pullets and one hen who always lay between 6:00-8:30 every evening.

 

[aart]

The flock had some disturbances as we had to rehome a rooster just last week so maybe they are just adjusting? But everything I’ve read says chickens should not be laying this late? Sorry for how long this post is....but any ideas or similar experiences?

Yep, sound like a typical newly laying pullet.
We need to know more about.....
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics).

It's best, IMO, to set her up with no options but where you want her to lay.
If nests are adequate in size and location, this is pretty easy to do with a few days of confinement to the coop and run.