Time of day chickens lay eggs?

[ash_en_em]

I have seen that many people say they don't let their chickens out to free range until after they've laid their eggs. I'm just curious, when do your chickens lay their eggs?

Mine aren't close to laying yet, but by the time they are laying, we will be well into summer and the coop will heat up pretty quick. I would hate to keep them in the coop/ run when it's that hot. Or is that what I should do?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Generally, mine are done by 3:00 PM. (You didn't have that option.) Mine know to come back to the nesting box.

 

[ash_en_em]

Generally, mine are done by 3:00 PM. (You didn't have that option.) Mine know to come back to the nesting box.

Thanks for the response! I'm currently trying to teach them to roost at night, that way they will want to lay in the nest box when the time comes.
I took dividers out of the nest boxes (so it's just and open space) when I put them in there a month ago, and my three prefer to snuggle in the corner of them. Been putting them on the roost bars at night.

I am just concerned about them laying eggs in the yard. I do not want to have to scavenge for eggs when the time comes!

 

[kesrchicky16]

The problem with answering this question is the time changes.

My flock seems to be somewhat in sync, in that all the eggs are laid in about a 2 hour time frame, but that time frame shifts. They have just cycled around to laying just after sunup. Last week it was between dinner and bedtime.

I free range mine from sunup to dinner time. Occasionally I have to go on an egg hunt but once I disturb the the "wild" nest they come back to the boxes. That only happens about 3 times a year and I have around 18 layers at a time.

 

[PirateGirl]

The egg cycle isn't exactly 24 hours so even the same chicken won't lay at the same time daily. It's more like 26 hours so the laying time shifts a few hours later each day until it's so late it pushes to the next day or the chicken skips a day entirely. Generally when I get home from work (anytime after 4) they are done, but I have caught hens in the nest box at 2 in the afternoon before.

 

[ash_en_em]

The problem with answering this question is the time changes.

My flock seems to be somewhat in sync, in that all the eggs are laid in about a 2 hour time frame, but that time frame shifts. They have just cycled around to laying just after sunup. Last week it was between dinner and bedtime.

I free range mine from sunup to dinner time. Occasionally I have to go on an egg hunt but once I disturb the the "wild" nest they come back to the boxes. That only happens about 3 times a year and I have around 18 layers at a time.

Thanks for the input! I didn't know the time changed! Does it just shift an hour or so each day?

 

[Hopperkiller]

Yard eggs will happen in the dangdest places (5 gallon bucket of rusty nails) but let them free range till they start laying. Then if the lay yard eggs adjust your release to condition them. Once they start laying just pay attention and see when they tell the world about the egg and see where she is coming from. Do this also anytime you have a decrease in regular numbers in the nest. It makes egg gathering more challenging

 

[saspratt]

We let ours out in the mornings and they just come back to the boxes to lay eggs when they’re ready. They have to take turns because only two of the nesting boxes are acceptable for use

 

[Ridgerunner]

When are mine finished laying? I've had some lay just before they go to the roosts though that is rare. So my answer is that I don't know. I can't click your 4 PM button as I've had some lay after that.

Most hens lay in the morning for different reasons. It normally takes somewhere around 25 hours for an egg to go through the hen's internal egg making factory from the time the yolk is released to start the journey until the egg is in the nest. Around 25 hours means it might be less than 24, it might be more than 26. But if you average it out you'll get around 25 if you have a lot of hens.

I've had hens that laid an egg the same time every day. It's more normal for them to gradually get later each day. They are not all identical, it can vary by hen.

There are different triggers that tell a hen when to release the yolk to start the egg on it's internal journey. One trigger is when the previous egg is laid. Another trigger is daylight. To avoid them needing to lay an egg after dark, daylight can trigger them to start that yolk or delay for a day. There are probably other triggers.

Not every hen lays every day either, so the triggers probably key into starting the egg so it will be laid in the morning instead of gradually getting later. That egg laying process can get kind of complicated.

I don't keep my hens locked up until they lay. They generally know to return to the coop when it is time to drop an egg. But not every hen does that, some love to hide eggs from you. When you find a hen not laying in your coop or run, a good way to retrain them is to leave them locked in the coop or coop/run until they lay the egg or just leave them locked up. Usually a week is enough but not always. They can get pretty darn frustrating. It helps if you can find that hidden nest and remove the eggs. Locking them up does not guarantee they will use the nests but at least it is in the coop and/or run.

As long as they are sleeping in the coop, I'd have the nests open well before they start to lay, 16 weeks at the latest. I'd put a fake egg in each nest to show them it's a good place to lay. I use golf balls but those fake wooden or ceramic eggs work great too. Then see where they lay when they start. As long as you have plenty of room and good ventilation you don't have to be in that big of a hurry to let them out in the morning, delaying some letting them out could help, but usually you don't have to do that.

I consider leaving them locked up more of a way to correct a problem as opposed to a preventative measure, but it can help prevent a problem.

Good luck!

 

[Hopperkiller]

Reading this thread , i went out to collect my eggs. Someone was there before me. 5 foot great plains snake. The largest on i have seen here. He now lives a few miles away in a pasture.