What time do chickens lay eggs??

[tmulleady]

Hope you don't mind me adding a question to this conversation. I am a newbie chicken farmer as well and even though my girls are not quite ready to lay, I have been worried about were they will lay eggs. My girls are free range when I am home which is almost all the time. I leave the coop open for them to wander in and out of BUT they seem to have taken a shine to my propane tank or rather the area underneath it. My tank is huge and I worry that they will lay them under the tank and I won't find them or I won't be able to reach them. My question is...What is the best way to insure they lay eggs in the nesting box and not out in the yard?

 

[sherrysleep]

my ladies ..1 lays at 9 am, 2 at around 11;30 and the other at about 1 lol

 

[sayga]

Hope you don't mind me adding a question to this conversation. I am a newbie chicken farmer as well and even though my girls are not quite ready to lay, I have been worried about were they will lay eggs. My girls are free range when I am home which is almost all the time. I leave the coop open for them to wander in and out of BUT they seem to have taken a shine to my propane tank or rather the area underneath it. My tank is huge and I worry that they will lay them under the tank and I won't find them or I won't be able to reach them. My question is...What is the best way to insure they lay eggs in the nesting box and not out in the yard?

Personally I would put up some fencing so they can't go under the tank. Unless it's the only shade you have, if you can't reach and they like it, letting them under there may be asking for secret egg stashes.

 

[Mah1Mah1]

My girls lay from late morning-late afternoon. When I first got them, They didn't use the coop to lay. Figure out where they are laying and if it is not where you want, discourage them. Prevent access to that area. Then promote where you want them to lay, put decoy eggs (ping pong balls)in the laying boxes to trick them. Good luck!

(PS. My girls didn't lay till about 22wks)

 

[bruceha2000]

I leave the coop open for them to wander in and out of BUT they seem to have taken a shine to my propane tank or rather the area underneath it. My tank is huge and I worry that they will lay them under the tank and I won't find them or I won't be able to reach them. My question is...What is the best way to insure they lay eggs in the nesting box and not out in the yard?

If they have nests accessible in the coop and access to the coop all the time, they will most likely lay there. Since they are in the coop at night until you let them out in the morning, they will be very familiar with the nests even though they don't know WHY they will want to be in them later. And if they are like mine, they won't be very far at all from the coop and run until they are older and more confident. Even now, at nearly 2 years old, they never go more than about 100' from any building. When they were young, they ALL stuck together wherever they went. Now they still go places as a group but not infrequently there will be one or two out foraging together while the others hang in the barn. And there might be small groups here and there. They go back to the coop when it is time to lay an egg, and that might be as far away as 100 yards. They go find the other birds when they are done.

My guess is they are hanging by the propane tank for the shade and perceived protection from predators. There may also be only dirt under the tank and they use the area as a dust bath. Make sure the roosts are higher than the nests so they don't sleep in them. Some breeds (sex links I think) might lay as early as 16 weeks, most not until 20+ so if you open the nest boxes by the time they are 5 months old, they will be available. Look for the combs to get dark red and for the birds to squat when you put your hand over them. Both are indications they will be laying in a week or two. You will probably notice them checking out the nest boxes as well when they are close to laying. They will go in and out, scratching around in the nesting material, leave, come back and do it again. Put the fake eggs in and even though they have NO idea they are going to lay eggs, will naturally want to lay in the same 'safe' place where another 'chicken' laid. Just like how much grit and oyster shell (make sure you have that out as well) they need, they just know to lay in a 'safe' place where the eggs can be gathered together for brooding. That isn't out in the open under a steel tank. They may poop wherever they are standing when the need arises but they are much more selective about where they lay and I have NEVER had one poop in a nest box.

Bruce

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens begin laying at about ten or eleven-ish o:clock in the morning. Every day they lay a little later and a little later until they run up on late afternoon. Then they will skip that day and return the following day to laying in the AM. The above is just a general rule but it will help you get a handle on your hens laying times. A flock of chickens will lay at all times of the day and even occasionally at night.

 

[katekearby]

Had an old ranch Vet tell me this weekend that hens lay eggs once they start laying every 28 hours, no more or less. He also said they need some light in the coop? not to make them lay but that's why he said they hang out at the door ?

 

[cowhlb]

They lay from 6 in the morning to 6 in the evening. What I would do is buy some nesting boxes and put them outside so they can lay in there. This will help!

 

[virgil]

Pine shavings or clean straw works fine. An 18 gallon storage tub with lid works good for laying box. Cut a hole at one end of the side about 10" wide and 12" high. You can lift lid to get to eggs. This also makes a good brood box for a setting hen and eggs.

 

[bruceha2000]

Had an old ranch Vet tell me this weekend that hens lay eggs once they start laying every 28 hours, no more or less. He also said they need some light in the coop? not to make them lay but that's why he said they hang out at the door ?

Don't know what breed he knows about but that doesn't apply to my chickens AT ALL. Some occasionally lay 12 days straight and will then lay for a few days and take a day off, then a couple of days on, then a day or 2 off. Some lay every other day, or maybe not for 2 days. There is no stinking "28 hours no more, no less" here. If there was, I'd be getting 10 eggs almost every day. Got 4 yesterday, 2 today.

Bruce