What Time of day do they "usually" lay there eggs?

[navychick]

My girl's are 16 weeks old. Each morning they exit their coop and wander in their run until I let them out in the yard. I opened up the nesting boxes a few days ago to let them explore them and placed a golf ball in each as a hint. Even when it rains they don't go back into the coop until that magical time of evening. My question.... will they stay in the coop later in the morning to lay an egg or return to the coop from roaming the yard individually to lay. Or (my biggest fear) they lay there eggs all over my yard or under their coops.
Looking for some advice. -Tamara

 

[ChickiKat]

Mine return to the coop to lay. And they lay at all different times of the day.

 

[OldGuy43]

I've been thinking about asking the same question. Ours lay before noon. My theory is that they want to get their work done so they can play the rest of the day.

 

[schumanw]

Mine lay underneath the coop. The coop is one foot off the ground and the coop has laying boxes in it. However, the hens apparently feel more comfortable underneath the coop. They lay their eggs usually during the late morning, early afternoon. They must take turns laying, because they all lay in the same place. The exact place shifts from one side to the middle, to the other side, but they all lay in the same place each day, with very very few exceptions. I find this strange, but very convenient.

 

[artsy1]

mine usually lay in mid morn. early afternoon. they like to all lay in same box....???????????? I don't have a roo. so no broodies, just food.
BUT, THEY CAN HAVE AN EMERGENCY LAY " LIKE IF THEY DON'T GET TO THEIR BOX" there it is.

 

[navychick]

Quote:
That would not be very convenient for me at all.

 

[CindyJeann]

My "laying boxes" are 5 gallon buckets inside a hen house. The girlies free range all day and come and go, as they please, into and out of the hen house. They all seem to be done by 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I go out about 5pm every day and gather eggs and throw out feed in the yard for their dinner.

 

[CheerioLounge]

Quote:
It's not uncommon to see 3 of my girls all in the same nesting box at the same time. It looks extremely uncomfortable; especially for the poor girl on the bottom!!

Mine lay anywhere from sunrise to about 3 pm.

 

[erinszoo]

Even if mine are ranging out of their pen and the gate is shut, they will beg to be let in to the pen so they can get to nest boxes ... except for one girl who has decided to lay her eggs wherever it is most convienient for her - the middle of the floor of the coop, the middle of the yard, the goose house, the feed trough, the greenhouse, my son's shoe on the back steps ...

Most of them lay in the mornings before 11 but a couple lay every afternoon around 2:30pm. We love the hunt every day!!

 

[gale65]

Normally we don't get anymore past 2 or 2:30. Today was weird though. Only 3 eggs and one was laid after 3 pm. We've been getting 5 or 6 a day lately so I guess it's just an off day for some of them. Hopefully they'll make it up tomorrow-I have 2 dozen spoken for and need a couple more eggs. I can take some out of our personal stash if I have to though.