When do chickens lay?

[Rlamberth]

My laying hens are English Bantams and they usually lay before lunch each day.

 

[Kenf]

Should I leave them in coop until 10:00 a.m. ? They are about 23 weeks old and haven't started laying yet.

 

[Kenf]

My gold sexlinks started laying at about18 weeks after hatching the Buff Orpingtons are just starting to lay at 19 weeks (out of 7 birds I 'm getting 4 small eggs per day) After a week or so the size & quantity will be better. What are you feeding yours? If they don't get enough protein they won't lay well. A lot of new chicken raisers will just feed scratch because it is cheaper. Layers need a good 15% protein feed to lay well. Mine eat feed anytime they want it. The feeder holds 2 bags (80 pounds) & lasts about 2 1/2 weeks. The rest of the time they are eating grass & bugs & produce great eggs with a dark orange yolk. Mine are free range on almost an acre. So far mine lay between 7:30 & 11:30 a.m.

 

[ropergirl]

Needing advice....we have about 30 hens diff breeds, ages (6mos to 6 years). They have a 1/4 acre pen with a barn and 8 nests (milk crates). About half of them leave the pen to roam freely on our 20 acres. My young hens (6 mo) are not laying in the nests....we cannot find any of their eggs. We have at least 20 hens that should be laying regularly and we get anywhere from 5 to 8 eggs a day in the nests. Any advice on getting these young ladies to lay their eggs in the barn where they are supposed to???? Thanks!!!!!.

 

[Annasg]

Yeah, lock them up in a coop until they get adjusted to the laying boxes. They will go back there every time they lay. If they are given that much space, it could be confusing to them for what they are there for. Mine lay at different times but they always lay in the same place, every time, without fail.

 

[Annasg]

And make sure you are feeding them some laying mash. It also works without fail

 

[Chick a Boom]

I have 3 Golden Sexlinks 17 weeks old and two of them started laying. Cute tinny eggs !! I let them out of the coop in the morning and they laid around 2:00 pm. They go back into the coop to lay. So excited

 

[Annasg]

Mine started laying where they are supposed to as well, however, if a bunch of laying hens has too much space to roam, they might be likely to choose another place besides their laying boxes and the Henhouse. Some of them need direction and if they are started off as Free Range, they may feel it is up to them to decide. The ones I am talking about just need a little direction and they will decide which is most comfortable. The last time I had chickens, they chose not to use the laying boxes and started laying in a crack,that I didnt even know was there. I started checking out the henhouse and found over 30 eggs laying under the henhouse. I was working full time at that time and didnt have as much time to work with them as they actually need. I gave them away but they were laying eggs, I just couldnt find them for a while.

 

[cortner1195]

I don't let mine out to free range until evening. That keeps them eating their layer pellets all morning. And laying their eggs where I can find them. They usually get a few hours each evening to free range after their eggs are laid, and I am reliably home to keep them safe.

I just moved nine pullets into the main coop. They are not allowed to free range until they are settled down. Hoping they can have some free range time tomorrow tonight.

 

[ChickChick55]

At last an answer that is correct. Thank you. They usually take 25 hours to lay, so it moves on 1 hour each day, then a day off. But all chickens are different.