Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: GerryOB on July 09, 2010, 07:52

Title: Is there a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?
Post by: GerryOB on July 09, 2010, 07:52
Just wondering if there is a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?

We got our girls on Wednesday evening.  The supplier said they were coming up to 19 weeks, which I know means they may not yet be laying at all for another few weeks. 

Penny, the white leghorn has much bigger and redder 'red bits' (I know the bit on top of the head is the comb, not sure about the bit underneath the neck) than all the others.  She also keeps going in to explore the nest boxes, and so does Nugget who is a Ranger, although she has a very small pale comb etc, so not sure if she just fancies a more comfortable bed rather than somewhere to lay eggs.

He do check the nest boxes periodically when they are all out in the run, but not sure if they would only lay over night or first thing in the morning or what.

Anyone got any ideas please?

Many thanks.

Gerry
Title: Re: Is there a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?
Post by: joyfull on July 09, 2010, 08:03
the red bits underneath are called the wattles.
They can lay anytime during the day but not very often at night - sometimes if you find an egg early in the morning they will have laid it first thing or late the day before  :)
Title: Re: Is there a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?
Post by: Sassy on July 09, 2010, 08:08
Even when they are laying it is unlikely they will lay at the same time every day as it takes about 25 hours to 'make' an egg! :)
Title: Re: Is there a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?
Post by: GerryOB on July 09, 2010, 08:31
Ahhh right, thank you!  I thought it was the wattles but wasn't 100% sure. 

I just think Penny may not be too far off laying her first egg with the way she looks and the way she keeps nipping inside to check out the nest boxes.

Gerry
Title: Re: Is there a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?
Post by: TeaPots on July 09, 2010, 12:50
Have a read trough the posts on first eggs, so you dont worry...the hens can lay some real oddities to start with. Shells with no egg, yolk with no shell, teeny weeny eggs, what looks like 2 or 3 eggs all attached in a row, etc. They may lay the odd one a week, until finally settling to laying one perfick egg every day for you.

It might help to put a rubber egg (or I just use an old white golfball) in the nestbox where they are to lay, as they see it and like to lay their eggs with it. It gives them the confidence they need. You still might find a stray egg in the run, just lift it and put it in the nest box, to show her where she SHOULD have laid it. Keep us posted...
Title: Re: Is there a 'usual' time of day for hens to lay?
Post by: grumpydad on July 09, 2010, 19:14
we have one that lays very early, just after i open the pop hole, she has a drink and goes back in to lay, 2 others that go in at lunchtime, and a fourth that can lay anytime during the day.