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Time of day for laying?

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by Marshchick, Jun 17, 2011.

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  1. Jun 17, 2011 #1
    Marshchick

    Marshchick Out Of The Brooder

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    Is there any time of day that chickens tend to lay eggs? Is it a free for all, or do they tend to lay in the morning, late morning, etc? I'm just wondering because our girls are free range in the afternoon and I'm trying to figure out (if possible) are we going to be having to look for eggs all over the yard, or will they lay in the nesting boxes in the morning, etc?

    What time of day do your girls lay their eggs?
     
  3. Jun 17, 2011 #2
    stilldeb

    stilldeb Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Well I always thought that chickens layed eggs in the morning, til I got chickens. We have all Bantams, and this might not be true for all chickens, but ours don't even get started til very late morning and lay til late afternoon. We let them out to free range with supervision in the evening and by then they are usually done, but every once in awhile one will run back in and lay a 'late egg'. Ours usually do go back in the coop and find their nesting box as long as I leave their run open/accessible.

    deb g
     
  5. Jun 17, 2011 #3
    centrarchid

    centrarchid Chicken Obsessed

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    My hens when under optimal conditions lay eggs at very close to 24 hour intervals, actually a little less than 24 when averaged out over 14 eggs going into a clutch. Most eggs of my "optimal birds" produced between 1000 and 1400 (middle of day). Same birds under suboptimal conditions seem to require more than twenty four fours resulting in time of lay changing from day to day. Birds in coops much more variable than free ranging birds.
     
  7. Jun 17, 2011 #4
    7L Farm

    7L Farm Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Mine free range & go back to the coop & lay their eggs. Lately, they all seem to lay at the same time.[​IMG]
     
  9. Jun 17, 2011 #5
    Judy

    Judy Moderator Staff Member

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    The cycle is supposed to be 25 hours, so they lay a little later each day til around sunset, then they skip a day and start again early in the morning. Supposed to be. Not all chickens have read the book....
     
  11. Jun 17, 2011 #6
    Chulke

    Chulke Out Of The Brooder

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    My one laying hen is laying about every 24 hours in the a.m....but lately she seems to be laying a little earlier every day. Like yesterday it was around 8:30 a.m. And today it was earlier cause I went out to feed them at 8:30 and she had already layed the egg and it had cooled off...so I'm not sure what time she layed this morning. Now I just wish my other girls would start...lol!
     
  13. Jun 17, 2011 #7
    JodyJo

    JodyJo Chillin' With My Peeps

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    everyone is different I guess. I heard you should leave the coop shut till around 11am, to help prevent an egg hunt later on...mine aren't laying yet, so I guess we will see!
     
  15. Jun 19, 2011 #8
    Marshchick

    Marshchick Out Of The Brooder

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    Marshfield, MA
    It's encouraging to hear that some of you who have free rangers and they go back to the laying boxes to lay rather than pop one out under a bush or or something. We've got a couple months left to go until they start laying so hopefully they'll follow suit.

    Wouldn't it be great if they could all have read the book! [​IMG] Make life a lot easier!
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2011
  17. Jun 19, 2011 #9
    elmo

    elmo Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Individual chickens can be very picky about where they lay. I have some that insist on a particular nestbox in a particular location. Glinda prefers an elevated nestbox and if she's out loose in the yard at that time will try to fly up to the roof of the run to lay up there. One day she was perching on a roost in the run and had that look on her face, so I went to move her (didn't want the egg dropping in the run and breaking). As I picked her up I saw her egg was right there ready to come out, and lo and behold she laid it right in my other hand!
     
  19. Jun 19, 2011 #10
    tclegg

    tclegg Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Quote:That would be a shocker--talk about a fresh egg!!!!LOL [​IMG]
    Pop, Plop...fizz...fizz Oh what a relief it is...LOL [​IMG]
     
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