When do chickens lay?

[ginnychick]

Congratulations! It is so exciting to get the first egg.
Ginny

 

[Darkesroh]

My hens are young and just started laying within the last month. Both girls are usually done by 10 a.m. I did notice before they started laying that they were checking the nests out and rooting around in there. I think it was about 2 days after that when she first started laying.

 

[rig001]

Mine too. Could tell they were going too. Exciting to get that first egg. We raised ours from chicks and its the first time for raising them. Now we get 8 to 9 eggs a day from 14 layers.

 

[TERRY4]

My girls usually lay their eggs by about 1 in the afternoon.  Once I found three hens all trying to sit in the same nest.  I have 6 nest boxes, but they all seem to prefer one or two of them.  And I use golf balls in them to hopefully give them the picture of what goes in the nest.  Also, once in awhile a snake gets in to the nests and hopefully swallows a golf ball instead of an egg.  I don't dislike snakes, I just don't like them eating my eggs!!!  I have 1 RIR, 1 BPR, (3 yrs old), 3 SLW (2 yrs old) and 4 Buff Orpingtons.  The Buff's are new this year.  I've been keeping track of who lays an egg.  It's interesting to see the difference. 

where are you that you have snakes getting in your nest boxes?

 

[The Mother Hen]

My hens start at around 8:30 to lay eggs and stop at noontime. Sometimes I will get an afternoon hen, but it's very rare if I do. I say just leave the eggs out until you pen up your hens for the night then bring them in if it's not too cold or too hot.

 

[sophiechick411]

I have one that started laying her egg between 630-700. This is something new. Everyone else does their business between 830-1100. I wish I could do something about this since she has become our alarm clock every morning now. I didn't realize just how loud they can get. But I love them more and just deal with it.

 

[1876 Farm]

first egg today at 2:30

Congratulations!!!

 

[htownmike]

Our girls lay theirs anywhere from 9ish until about 1. They didn't start laying until about 6 months. 2 RIR, 2 BR and 2 BO. They are free range on our 5 acres. We've had plenty of stray eggs from time to time. I believe if they feel threatened by a predator, in our case skunks and hawks, they will find other places to lay, but return to their boxes once the threat has been removed. We are first timers at this. So far so good.

 

[Homestead girl]

My Buff Orpingtons are 24 weeks old, and no eggs yet.
What does it mean that the hens start to squat ? I have read this several times.

 

[TERRY4]

My Buff Orpingtons are 24 weeks old, and no eggs yet. What does it mean that the hens start to squat ? I have read this several times.

That means they're getting ready to lay an egg. Do you have nest boxes? I have a golf ball in each box, and it's worked. They lay right in the nest boxes.