At what time do your chooks lay???

[Nicos]

Just wondered if they vary their laying times throughout the morning ...or what???
Betty laid yesterday at 11am French time- ie 10am English time...is that the 'usual time'- or does it vary vastly depending on sunrise time/dull dark mornings???

[di]

There's often 3 or 4 eggs waiting for us when we go sort them out at about 7:00....the last one of the day has been as late as 3:00pm.......so I don't think ours have quite sussed this whole early morning laying....or at least a couple of them haven't!

[MaureenHall]

Usually mine start about an hour after they get up. Had 3 so far this morning and I think Hazel's shouting to tell me "I've laid an egg! Come on, I've told you I've laid an egg! Hey everybody, I've laid an egg. Did you know I've laid an egg" She's soooooooooo vocal and always lets everybody know if anything's going on . They usually have finished laying by lunchtime

[frias]

Sometimes there's already an egg when they are let out at 7am. I never block the nest box until 4pm though 'cos we have had an egg as late as 3.40pm. I unblock nest box as soon as the girls are sttled at night because of the early layer.

[Flummery]

I read somewhere (I've read so much chook stuff to keep me going till I can get my own, so I forget where!) that hens have a sort of natural 25 hour body clock. So they lay, for example, at 7.00 one day, 8.00 the next and so on for 5 or 6 days, then their bodies take a day or two off (depending on their age) and then start again early. Obviously I can't back this up with observed examples but it makes sense.

I think I have the same body rhythm. I'm not really ready to settle down at bed-time but if left to myself I'd go to bed and get up an hour later each day. Every so often, of course, I'd be nocturnal! Not sure it would work!

[Nicos]

That's interesting Flum!
Today will /should be the 6th egg- so if it's a 25hr clock Betty should get going in 40 mins..or be on her 'weekend break'

( I'm sooooo excited- I've already been in to check, so I've left her well alone now!)

Fun bit is picking off all the wood shavings from the fleece and trousers!!! I should know about the fleece from handling shavings in stables, but hands and knees looking under shelving makes me look more like a Womble!!!!

[Nicos]

Egg no 6 laid between 11 and 12am local time..(so your theory is on track Flum)
...and this one was IN the nesting box!...but she didn't strut about this time.

35g..getting bigger!!!!

[Flummery]

Not really MY theory - but if it works, I'll claim it!

[janeyo]

We have 3 hens and there are normally 2 eggs waiting for me at about 8ish when I feed them. They let themselves out when the pop hole opens when it gets light.
The other lays mid-morning.

They are starting to miss one or two a week now though and laying a bit later in the day, darker weather and maybe coming into their moult. It can make a difference. And they didn't lay after firework night so must have been spooked!

janeyo

[Suechooks]

I've read the 25 hour theory too. One of my new pullets has laid every day for the last three weeks but this week not till afternoon and today nothing so I'm expecting an early morning egg again tomorrow and so on.... This is how my previous POLs have performed too so they must have all read the same book!

[lynda66]

At what time do your chooks lay???

hopefully about february

[Suechooks]

And sure enough there was an egg waiting for me when I let them out this morning! I just KNEW she'd read the book!

[HayleyB]

At what time do your chooks lay???

hopefully about february

ROFL

My lot laid 10 yesterday at various times found one in the yard that must have been about 4pm

[Snadger]

I've long since stopped wondering how a chooks mind or body clock works!
I just accept the offerings after they've layed them!

[Nicos]

No egg yet...that's 25.5 hrs now Betty ...is it your weekend off ????? ( I'll go and check again soon!)