What time of day do your girls lay?

[tedabug]

I'm a new egger. Just got the first egg yesterday, but we were gone so I don't know what time it occurred. I want to leave the hens in the coop until the eggs are layed so they don't go laying them out in the bushes where i can't find them. I'm curious what time of morning your hens lay their eggs? What time is safe to let them run around outside the coop?

 

[LarryPQ]

Chickens ovulate every 26-34 hours (depending on the breed).

When they lay will change throughout the week. So if they lay at 8 AM today, tomorrow it will be 10 AM, Wednesday 12 PM, and so on.

If their "laying time" is after dark, they will hold it until the next morning.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
What She said ^^^ It's a cycle. Starts out early in the morning and gets later each day until they start all over again. With a new layer it can also be very erratic; one egg, skip a couple days, another egg, etc. etc.

 

[girlychick]

Quote:
I had know clue chickens did that xD

 

[Keri78]

I worried about this exact same thing when my girls started laying. As long as you've been locking them up (in the coop/barn) and they've established their "home instinct" then they will lay in the same area that they sleep. I also keep their food & water in the barn so all throughout the day they are running in and out of the barn to eat ...drink...and lay. My flock free-ranges on 5 acres and they can be way out in the woods and when their ready to lay....they come right back to their nesting areas in the barn. No worries!

 

[michickenwrangler]

My Gold Comets usually get all their laying done by 11 am or so. Once in awhile we get an egg or 2 in the afternoon. Black Stars should start laying in another month, God only knows when the Cochins will begin laying ...

 

[JENx]

Any time between before i'm up (!) and 4pm!

 

[kuntrygirl]

My girls lay anywhere from 6am - 5pm.

 

[tedabug]

Thanks for the helpful info. I usually leave them in the coop/run until noon anyway. I want them to be used to being "cooped" so they aren't so upset when we have to leave them and they need to spend a couple of days in lock up. I guess I won't worry about it. Hopefully the nesting instinct will kick in!

 

[helloroe]

I had some start wandering and laying elsewhere on our acre of free range. I noticed they preferred to nest in long pine needles. So I now have a few nests with long pine needles and they come back in to lay without fail. Ours lay anywhere from 6AM-5PM. If I dont have the door open by 6:30AM they tell me off on their way out and the door has to be closed behind them by 8:30PM or I again get told off. Neighbors are great for seeing if it still open they come over and close and lock it so the girls can sleep comfortably. No they are not spoiled at all. (yeah right)