Time of day chickens lay eggs?

[love4mychickens]

The time varies very much for me. I recall one time having all my girls finished at like noon or so, but most times they are finished at three. I will let mine free range before that but only because I've observed they stay close to their coop and know how to get in and out of it smoothly. I have never had anybody lay an egg in the yard.

 

[Dayrel]

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!

Chickens like to lay where another has already laid. The best trick I've seen is to put fake eggs (golf ball, ceramic egg, etc) in the nests. You can combine that with keeping them cooped up early in the day until they make a routine of laying in the nests. After that, they should be okay.

Each of mine laid one egg outside the nests until they learned what "that feeling" was. I still leave the fake eggs in the nests and don't worry about them laying elsewhere.