What is your method for figuring out who's laying & who isn't?

[DigiChicken]

I've got 4 girls (2 RIRs, 2 Barred Rocks) who are over 2 now and have started in with spotty egg-laying. I added a white leghorn into the mix and she's started laying and she's the only one that I can reliably tell her eggs.

Is there a way to tell...like separating each hen for a few days to see if she's laying? I should think that would stress her out to be away from her lady friends and stop her laying, thus defeating the whole process.

What is your method?

Technically their eggs DO have unique characteristics but I don't remember who laid which egg anymore. Do I have to start paying super careful attention - sit in their coop all day for a few days?? ;-)

thanks,
Alexandra

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

I chicken spy 007 style (insert dramatic music here)

Nah, I'm just kidding.......... well kinda, I have stood on a step stool and peeked through their window and I've hid around the side and watched who went into the coop.

My chickens started laying on August 11th, now I believe I have 4 chickens laying (one who has only laid 3 eggs and another only 1). I do know which two chickens are not laying because 1 just started squatting yesterday and the other still has a very small comb/wattles.

Basically, and this is completely annoying, but you just have to give them time. After a few weeks mine became more regular and I now know which chickens lays around what time. This morning I was in the coop for quite awhile doing some cleaning and two chickens laid eggs with me in there. My normal layer had already laid early morning and then my, before today mysterious 3 egg layer, came in and laid (so far all 3 of her eggs have had brown speckles, then my normal late morning layer came in and laid

My entire flock are brown egg layers

 

[DigiChicken]

Oh, no, I guess I didn't say it, so my fault. My girls are older...as in, they were daily layers for the last couple of years and now they aren't laying consistently. I don't think they have all-together stopped laying, but are definitely not the daily layers they have been. For those that cull their flock - how do you know which girls are done laying and which are still going? I haven't gone through that yet, with my own but have helped a friend cull hers. I don't mind if they aren't laying daily, just when they stop all-together.

When they first started laying, I knew which chicken layed which egg, as they started laying one at a time. Over time I've just plain forgotten. I should have taken a photo back when I knew!

Thank you,