What time of day do they lay?

[Jen71]

What time of day do your hens lay their eggs?

I've read that you can block the nesting boxes at night so they learn to roost. And you open up the nesting boxes in the morning.
And if your hens are free ranging or out in the run, do they just naturally come back inside the coop throughout the day to lay their eggs?
Or is it possible that they'll start laying eggs all over the run instead of going back into the coop?

 

[MareeZoCool]

My almost-year old hen, A black Astralorp; she does her laying between 9 & 11AM. She likes to get out of the coop/run & free-range for an hour or two, then rush back to lay her egg. (mornings have ALWAYS been her fave time for treats. Yup, I got her good & spoiled!

 

[easttxchick]

My girls lay at all different times of the day.
I free range my flock all day and at different times, you'll see a hen running at full speed to the coop singing all the way to snag the favorite laying box.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

during winter tey will lay any time, day or night. Spring thru fall they start laying around 8am -1pm.

 

[Jen71]

Quote:
Hahaha! Both of you commented that your hens run back to the coop to lay their eggs. How cute! I can't wait to see this.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[kittykorat]

Mine go back to the coop to lay in the nest boxes, and they seem to lay whenever they feel like it.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The Kinder Major asked me yesterday when our hens laid and I said mostly in the morning and a few through the early to mid-afternoon. Since it was nearby we checked the tractor with the Delawares and Jersey Giants. Two eggs by noon, seven more from noon to four. So much for my theories...

.....Alan.

 

[sparkles2307]

My girls (28 of them) take turns in the nest boxes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.... except the one who lays on top of a round bale every day....?

 

[sparkles2307]

Quote:
We always know when someone is going to lay because there will be a hen just a-runnin' across the yard to the hen house and about 15 min later she comes out cackling about her egg...

 

[Sesame]

Mine usually lay in the late afternoon. One just started laying the past couple of days in the late morning.