Will a light help my hen start laying in the nesting box again?

[KYchickentender]

So one of my hens is an early morning layer. Like she usually lays sometime around 6 am when it’s still dark. The last week or so she has started laying while still on the roost instead of going to the nesting box. I go in almost everyday to a broken egg But I’m wondering if maybe she doesn’t get down from the roost because it’s dark? I have a timed light in the coop for nighttime to help them go inside so I was wondering if maybe I can have the light come on for a couple of hrs in the morning and maybe that would help her come off the roost and go to the box? Or am I crazy and I should just leave it alone??

 

[Perris]

Are the shells strong or are they soft-shelled eggs?

 

[Jenahleah]

Do you have some sort of window in your coop, so maybe they are more aware of the time vs always dark?

 

[aart]

How old is she, in months, and how long has she been laying?

I have a timed light in the coop for nighttime to help them go inside

How long does this light stay on?
Are there no windows in coop to help them coop up at dusk?

Are the shells strong or are they soft-shelled eggs?

Wondering the same.

 

[GC-Raptor]

So one of my hens is an early morning layer. Like she usually lays sometime around 6 am when it’s still dark. The last week or so she has started laying while still on the roost instead of going to the nesting box. I go in almost everyday to a broken egg

Like Perris said, is the egg hard or soft shelled?
If hard shelled a light turned on before laying would help her find her way to nests.

My first Flock (Golden Comets) were early layers in their first year of production, laying before 9am daily, for 8 or 9 days before missing a day.

If soft shelled a light won't help immediately but should help to normalize laying if kept constant.

New layers can lay soft shells and changes in lighting can do the same.
Like opening a coop with windows facing west at different times in the morning.

Both of my coops have east facing windows.

Although in my case I have lights that I turn on before sunrise daily year-round at 5 am.

Consistency is important if your coop doesn't get morning sunlight inside.
Opening coop at different times daily (more than 20 minutes) can screw up laying pattern and quality of eggs. GC

 

[Nigel27]

Like Perris said, is the egg hard or soft shelled?
If hard shelled a light turned on before laying would help her find her way to nests.

My first Flock (Golden Comets) were early layers in their first year of production, laying before 9am daily, for 8 or 9 days before missing a day.View attachment 2359504

If soft shelled a light won't help immediately but should help to normalize laying if kept constant.

New layers can lay soft shells and changes in lighting can do the same.
Like opening a coop with windows facing west at different times in the morning.

Both of my coops have east facing windows.View attachment 2359483
Although in my case I have lights that I turn on before sunrise daily year-round at 5 am.

Consistency is important if your coop doesn't get morning sunlight inside.
Opening coop at different times daily (more than 20 minutes) can screw up laying pattern and quality of eggs. GC

If I add a purple led grow light to my coop could this extend laying?

 

[GC-Raptor]

If I add a purple led grow light to my coop could this extend laying?

No, probably not.
Chickens respond to the red spectrum, 2700/3000 Kelvin. (Warm light appearance).
I use these LED lights inside and outside my coops.

The 250 Lumens inside my small coops 18 and 22 square feet. The 450 lumens under the coops and the 800 lumens outside the coops.

GC

 

[CluckerFamily]

If I add a purple led grow light to my coop could this extend laying?

You need white light to extend laying.

 

[KYchickentender]

Are the shells strong or are they soft-shelled eggs?

They are hard shelled eggs

 

[KYchickentender]

Do you have some sort of window in your coop, so maybe they are more aware of the time vs always dark?

I don’t have a window, but there is a door that goes out to the run that is wire and there is a small ventilation area that runs around the top of the coop. But it is always pretty dark in there even on the brightest summer days. But don’t chickens like dark quiet places to lay their eggs? That’s why I’m not sure a light would help or not?