Time of laying???

[nccatnip]

Do hens prefer laying their eggs at any specific time of day or night? Or is it just at random time when the "urge" hits?
Also, mine free range mostly, will my hens return back to the nesting box to lay if they are out? Or am I going to be having a daily easter egg hunt?

 

[MissPrissy]

Hens lay in 24 hour cycles. Your eggs may come 1 hour later each day as the cycle resets itself. Some hens will come back to lay in the nest boxes others might make their own nests elsewhere as they free range. You can lock them in the coop a few days and help teach them to lay in the nest boxes before letting out to free range again. They are creatures of habit and will return to the nest boxes if that is where you have taught them to lay - generally speaking, some hens are stubborn.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Obelisk can start her cycle of laying at 7 in the morning and the latest was 6:30 or so at night.
Penny starts at 7 and the latest she laid was about 5.
Hens cycles can be 24+ hours, just like human female cycles can be 21-35 days.
Sincerely glad that I'm not a hen...

 

[mommahento5]

Quote:

Mine have only been laying for about 3 weeks, but I pretty well have all the eggs I am going to get by 3 pm....and most of them are before noon. I haven't had any lay late yet. I was wondering if it was cooler in the morning though, if that had anything to do with it....

 

[2mnypets]

Mine are usually done by noon but up til last night I still had 3 that weren't laying. When we went to tuck everyone into bed I checked the nest boxes one more time and sure enough....lucky number 7. That means I only have two girls left that aren't laying. That's from my first bunch anyways. Five more to go in the next week or so and then twenty one more come late September or early October. This is almost like potty training a child. These girls are just as stubborn too.

 

[Nyna]

I think mine usually lay around noon. On a normal work day when the hens are cooped up I get about 5-6 eggs. On the weekend when I let them free-range while I'm there I get about 2-3. So some come back to the coup to lay, some don't.

 

[polychickens]

Most of my hens haven't started to lay yet, but for the few that do, I have yet to see an egg before noon. Today I got an early egg at 12:15. I literally watched it drop from her body.
Polychickens

 

[countrygirl4513]

I was wondering how long it takes the hens to reach maximum capacity... make the bigger eggs, mine are small, I couldn't remember how long it took them to mature.

 

[nccatnip]

Thanks guys, I guess it varies and the only way to tell is to watch the girls. I had one banty egg about three weeks ago then nothing again until yesterday. I found one small banty egg tucked way back in the box, was not sure how long it had been there as I may have overlooked it earlier. So far nothing today. Man, it takes FOREVER for these first eggs!!!!!!!!!! I am blaming the heat.

 

[bjcoop]

I must be getting alltimers, but I cannot remember how long we have to wait until they lay. ??????

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down to 24 teens: 10 araunacanas, 4 ss hamburgs, 2 dorkings, 4 winnebagos, 2 unknowns, 2 shoulda been cuckoo marans. + 4 uppity molting delawares and 1 jgiant momma with 5 caveman/chicks (they really need a shave)