So dumb question? What time of day do chickens normally lay?
What time of day?
- Thread starter Sillyshells
- Start date
Not a dumb question, I'd like to know too. My guess is that it's anytime of day they feel the urge to purge
Quote:
That's how my Snowflake does it! She used to lay around 2pm and it has slowly moved earlier. Now she lays around 9am.
That's how my Snowflake does it! She used to lay around 2pm and it has slowly moved earlier. Now she lays around 9am.
I have 16 laying hens, of which 9 or 10 have started to lay, 4 breeds, RIR, BR, GSL and Austrolorp. Notice the first egg yesterday around 8:30am, and they were done by about 1pm. On the weekends I have been keeping track of who is laying and have been placing leg bands on all layers. Funny thing is that a few birds of each breed are laying, but not all of any one breed is laying, and all were hatched the same day. As far as time of day by breed, they are all over the place.
It seems to take my Easter Eggers about 26 hours to lay, so if they lay one at 8am, then tomorrow's won't be 'til 10am, then the next day at noon, next at 2pm, etc., and then they'll go a day without laying, then back to 8am again.
The RIRs, Doms and Black Australorps lay every day, but the time of day swings early (sometimes even at the crack of dawn), then later, sometimes as late as dusk (rare, but happens). With 11 hens, I get eggs starting as early as 8am, all the way 'til at least 6pm, sometimes even later.
Silly chickens!
The RIRs, Doms and Black Australorps lay every day, but the time of day swings early (sometimes even at the crack of dawn), then later, sometimes as late as dusk (rare, but happens). With 11 hens, I get eggs starting as early as 8am, all the way 'til at least 6pm, sometimes even later.
Silly chickens!
Used to be all morning layers (they were selected for the important trait), but now chickens will lay at any time of day.
However, your best layers and the ones to choose for breeding are the morning layers. Morning layers are less stressed. They get the egg layed at the hen house, then go out and forage for food and exercise. No yard eggs, so you don't have to have an Easter Egg Hunt every single day of the year.
When I bring new chicks into the flock for a new blood line, after they have become established as layers, I cull all afternoon layers. Because I breed my own chicks, they end up being all morning layers. Time of lay is a heriditary trait passed on and should be selected for when breeding your own chickens. The time will vary each day but is around 24 hours from last lay of a mature hen.
However, your best layers and the ones to choose for breeding are the morning layers. Morning layers are less stressed. They get the egg layed at the hen house, then go out and forage for food and exercise. No yard eggs, so you don't have to have an Easter Egg Hunt every single day of the year.
When I bring new chicks into the flock for a new blood line, after they have become established as layers, I cull all afternoon layers. Because I breed my own chicks, they end up being all morning layers. Time of lay is a heriditary trait passed on and should be selected for when breeding your own chickens. The time will vary each day but is around 24 hours from last lay of a mature hen.
It takes a chicken roughly 26 hours to produce an egg, so if you get an egg from a hen at 10 AM tomorrow, you can expect one around 11 AM the next day (assuming she's a daily layer).
My girls all cycle together, just as human women living or working together for long periods of time tend to do.
The hens start off laying in the wee hours of the morning, but it gets later and later each day until it gets to the point that it's too late in the day for laying eggs (dark or nearly dark). When that happens, they start all over again early the next morning or skip a day and lay early the next.
My girls all cycle together, just as human women living or working together for long periods of time tend to do.
The hens start off laying in the wee hours of the morning, but it gets later and later each day until it gets to the point that it's too late in the day for laying eggs (dark or nearly dark). When that happens, they start all over again early the next morning or skip a day and lay early the next.
- Thread starter
- #8
Wow! I guess I need to be checking more often! I run out first thing in the Am to check. I always ask them did you give me an egg yet? Lol. They are all 18 weeks and nothing yet. we have two rhode islands, two americana's and 2 white leghorns
- Aug 16, 2010
- 7
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- 7
I have found mine laying mostly between 9 am and noon. Since they are pecking at the eggs I have learned to gather around noon or 1 and that catches most of them but there are 2 o3 3 that lay earlier.
- Thread starter
- #10
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Just had our first egg! Wow! I can't believe it! I was just wondering about it this morning!!! I clicked a link on a yo tube video and heard about the same noise form the coop throught he window. I walked out and one of our white ones was in the box. Her comb was really pale and I. as I watched I heard the drop. But she didn't start singing afterwards? She remained really pale and still squatting? I started petting her and she didn't give me a response so I picked her up and petted her a bit and offered her some fresh cold water. She seemed to perk up after a few minutes I'm going to repost this in a new post in case it's missed to get some new advice...
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