I must have very quiet chickens. Or I wasn't home. The only thing I noticed before finding our first egg was that all the hens seemed to be in the coop more than usual. Normally they are all out all day. The day previous it seemed everyone was in the coop for a few extra hours. If the alpha hen lays first, will the others kind of stay by her? I mean, if one hen(presumably the alpha) is the first to the coop at night and sort of keys the others it is time to go night night, will they follow her into the coop when she hangs out there other times as well? Just wondering.
Our nesting box is set up in the garage/ tack/ feed room We leave the garage door up about 2 feet so the hens can get in but the donkey & horse can not. We always know when the hen is in there because Ricky Roo will be standing and pacing outside the garage and crowing his fool head off!