What time of day do they lay?

[Morgan7782]

Haha I rymed lol. Ok onto the question.

What time of day (morning? Afternoon? Evening? Night? Any specific times for anybody?) does everybody's hens lay their eggs?

Just curious and looking forward to variaty if there is any

 

[jwalters]

1-3:30 pm

 

[gryeyes]

Mine usually start in the morning, around 9 a.m. (Well, that's the earliest *I* have gathered any.) Then, because the egg-laying cycle takes about 26 hours, give or take, and depending on the breed's regularity, the same pullet will lay the next day about 2 hours later. And then 2 hours later the next day... until the cycle gets too late, and either starts over or skips a day. Thereabouts. You will notice the progression once you start paying attention to your pullets when they are laying.

 

[greathorse]

Quote:
This is supposedly quite accurate, but it sure seems like mine lay sort of mid morning most of the time. Maybe it has more to do with when I observe I know the cycle depicted above is what is most documented. Mine seldom lay late afternoon and evening of that I am certain. Maybe early afternoon and then the cycle starts over.

 

[AlaskGirl]

Great read 'cause I've been wondering why 3-4ish happened today!!

 

[digitS']

Pullets, new to laying, are going to lay at just about anytime. It takes them a few weeks to settle down to something more normal.

The poultry scientists say that there is an "open period" of about 8 hours when hens are laying each day. The peak of this time comes about 16 hours after dark on the previous day.

So, if darkness comes at 8pm. The peak of their laying should be about 10am the next morning. The flock will begin laying about 6am and finish about 2pm.

Let's say the egg arrives in the nest at 8am. Ovulation starts immediately. Many hens are "26 hour layers," some an hour less, some an hour or so, more. At the 26 hour mark of 10am the next day, our layer produces her 2nd egg. The 3rd egg arrives at 12, noon. The 4th egg shows up at the 2pm mark, on the 4th day.

If she has more that 4 eggs in her "clutch" (and she should), she has probably arrived at the time of day, 2pm, when the necessary hormones for ovulation aren't available. She has to "pause" and will skip the next day, build up those hormones and lay again sometime early in the morning on the day following. This will continue until she has laid out her clutch.

It's all a matter of hormones and what it means is that I can safely turn my hens out into the yard after 2pm without worrying about one of them hiding a nest somewhere I can't find it

.

Steve

 

[Morgan7782]

How do I avoid finding eggs around the yard? I won't keep them locked up then until they lay their egg, my first chickens always had theirs done before I woke up (years ago). Will they go from wherever in the yard back to the coop to lay their egg? Yikes now I am nervous lol and my girl's aren't 14 weeks yet lol!

Wow lots of responses!! Thanks all! Very very informative!

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I have an older hen that as layed hers while roosting at night. It only happened a few times and hasn't happened lately. The other night I found one after 7:30 still warm. Haven't found any in the run yet but I still look.

 

[calicokat]

My free ranging gals go to the nest box when it's time to lay the egg. Sometimes there will be a line, it's cute! Then they come out and range the rest of the day.

 

[newTexan2chickens]

sometimes I have found an egg before 9 am but most of the time it is between 10 and 5.... most of them seem to be laying in the afternoon.