When do you let your hens out?

[wordgirl]

If you let them out in the morning, do they lay their eggs out of the coop? Our hens don't go back into the coop hardly at all in the day, so I'm worried they'll lay all their eggs in the wrong places if we let them out too early. Is noon late enough in the day that they'll have laid all (or most) of their eggs?

Thanks!

 

[shanonspeeps]

I've been wondering the same thing myself today. My son has accidentally let the girls out this morning while I am at work and I was wondering where they would lay their eggs. I've got 3 that have been laying for about 2 weeks now so I was wondering if they would go back into the coop to lay in their nesting boxes.

 

[briteday]

I let our chickens out between 5-7AM each day. They know to go back to the nest boxes in the coop to lay eggs. They also go in and out of the coop to eat, drink, sit on a roost, ...

 

[Nemo]

Quote:
We let ours out about 7:30 am, and they do the same.

 

[Horsewell]

i let my girls out at about 7am every day and they all lay in the coop

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Same here.

 

[wordgirl]

Do you think ours will follow suit? They don't really go into the coop for anything these day (they aren't laying yet).

 

[annek]

Mine just started laying last week. They free range. The first two eggs I found in a flower pot. I then put fake eggs in their nest boxes in their coop (didn't have them in the coop before that). Since then, they have laid every egg in their nest boxes. I think you will be fine, put the fake eggs/golf balls in there so they can understand that is where they need to lay. Mine spend most of their time roaming, but return to lay.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. My birds free range. My birds are always in their coop on their roosts before dark. They have access to their secured run and yard 24 hrs a day. They are alway in their yard in the morning by graylight. I also have a 11 watt red night light always on in their coop. I have had no problems with them laying anywhere but in their nest boxes. I do have golf balls in their nest boxes. Some people use fake eggs.

 

[frogs n chickens]

What cmom said.

Except for yesterday. could ba a fluke though.