Will the time my hen lays her eggs change.....she is just starting

[MountainMimi]

We have 1 Easter Egger and 2 Buffs and we have received 5 from the EE and 2 so far from one of the Buffs (I think - they have a little curtain covering up their nest, so cannot tell which Buff has been going up there). My question is will they change their egg laying time to morning or stay at the same time every day. I ask because they normally free range most of the day and I want to be sure they know to come back to the nest and lay the egg, not somewhere in the surrounding area! It seems like they lay in the late morning or early afternoon. The Buff egg came Sunday after we had opened their cage up (when we came back from church - it was 12:30 PM) and let them out. She ended up going back into the nest to lay it, so I think she has the idea. But since the other Buff has not yet started laying and she is a little ditzy, I want to be sure she goes into the nest. We have put all three of them up there prior to the laying, so hopefully they all know what to do. I read that it takes approximately 25 hours to produce a new egg.

 

[tacothechicken]

Yup they're kinda back and forth time wise once they first start laying but eventually will settle into an almost exact time. I don't keep a light whith my birds so mine go through a stage of egg randomness for about a week starting back up in spring they also pick out favorite nest boxes so as long as she takes to the coop your bird should have no issue laying inside. If they end up not in the nest box just leave an egg or two where you want them to lay and they should catch on after 1 or 2 times.

 

[gator75]

Mine go with the +/- 25 hr. rule. Everyday is just a little bit later than the last till they skip a day. Then the next egg is early in the am. The cycle begins again..

 

[imnukensc]

My experience is much like gator75's except mine seem to be on a +/- 26 hour schedule. So, a direct answer to your question is, no, they will not lay at the same time every day. At least my BRs don't.

 

[aart]

Mine go with the +/- 25 hr. rule. Everyday is just a little bit later than the last till they skip a day. Then the next egg is early in the am. The cycle begins again..

This is typical of most chickens.

It's good you are finding eggs in the nests, they will probably continue that.
But....
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Trux]

Yup What ^^^^aart said! Mine do early, mid, late morning noon. Some as late as 3pm. Then all of a sudden I have 10 eggs by 10am. I usually collect my eggs around 4pm and have come out in the morning to find a egg in a nest box and cold, when I turn them loose for the day. So as long as they come back to the coop to lay, that's what matters. If you start to notice a drop in egg count over several days then you start to easter egg hunt