When do they lay

nzdunn · « **on:** May 25, 2009, 23:43 »

ok total newbie question here but when do hens lay their eggs, is it through the day or at nite or do they just roost at nite on their perches, do they get into a routine of laying around the same time everyday and when do you take their eggs away. Sorry question overload nicky

Sassy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 26, 2009, 07:56 »

Usually lay mornings but can lay later.
At night they just sleep.
If laying every day or thereabouts they lay about every 25 hours.
I take the eggs away when I check which may be as soon as the hen has left the nest box. It is usually recommended to remove eggs regularly in case any of the hens take to egg eating which is considered to be a bad habit.

Welcome to the forum

Tazzy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 26, 2009, 08:53 »

Mine tend to lay between 7 and 10am during the summer, but it can be later in the winter due to the darker mornings and if they are going into moult. I normally search about 9am and the hens can get used to you popping your head in so they don't seem to disturb much. If they've been on the nest for over half an hour I do have a quick check underneath them and have removed a few eggs that way to stop them going broody.

joyfull · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2009, 09:01 »

One of mine lays as soon as I let her out every day without fail - I open the pop hole and she races down the garden (1/4 acre) towards my utility/junk room, hops up through the door where a pane of glass is missing, onto my tumble dryer then over to a spot that she has made a nesting area out of a coir hanging trough liner (not the whole thing just strands of it that she pulled off before I could take it off her), and bobs your uncle 20 mins later a fresh egg for my breakie

Foxy · « **Reply #4 on:** May 26, 2009, 10:27 »

Quote from: joyfull on May 26, 2009, 09:01

One of mine lays as soon as I let her out every day without fail - I open the pop hole and she races down the garden (1/4 acre) towards my utility/junk room, hops up through the door where a pane of glass is missing, onto my tumble dryer then over to a spot that she has made a nesting area out of a coir hanging trough liner (not the whole thing just strands of it that she pulled off before I could take it off her), and bobs your uncle 20 mins later a fresh egg for my breakie

Oh what a clever hen,that what I call a fast food brekkie!

joyfull · « **Reply #5 on:** May 26, 2009, 10:30 »

If I'm a little bit late letting them out you can almost see her clenching her rear end as she is trying to run

Jane-M · « **Reply #6 on:** May 26, 2009, 12:21 »

Fantastic! they are special critters aren't they?

Mine lay between 7am and 2pm. I collect the eggs late afternoon - mainly because I am at work some days and it seems easier to stick to the routine. All nine of them lay in the same nest box. They have made nests in all three but only lay in one - :blink: despite priming the others with decoy eggs (they have only moved into the new hen house a couple of weeks ago so maybe they'll get more used to it).

When do they lay

nzdunn

When do they lay

Sassy

Re: When do they lay

Tazzy

Re: When do they lay

joyfull

Re: When do they lay

Foxy

Re: When do they lay

joyfull

Re: When do they lay

Jane-M

Re: When do they lay