[loosey]

Well, I wasn't happy with the run that the chicken people sold us with the chickens and there were no perches in there so I turfed my OH's ferrets out of their room and have turned it into the chicken house!

I was scrounging aroung for something to use as nesting boxes and settled on some hanging baskets with straw inside ... they love them!! Some perches and sawdust later and we have very happy chickens!

Just wondering what time of day your chicken usually lay? I remember our always laying in the very early hours when I was young but mine seem to be waiting until after breakfast, having a walk around and then going back and laying mid morning ... when do you normally collect your eggs? 

[JulieS]

A couple of mine lay first thing, but most of them lay between 9 and 11.....a few later in the day, but they've usually finished by 3.

[princesspiggy]

we usually collect about 2pm, before this then half havent finished so we have to go back later. the ducks lay by 8am.

[Fleecewife]

Hens apparently have a 25 hour day, and we do find that they seem to get later and later each day, then miss a day, then start early again, so over the whole flock their laying is spread from early morning to about 3 or 4.  We used to collect eggs at five, or dusk whichever comes earlier but now we have a problem with jackdaws going in the pophole and stealing the biggest eggs, so we collect every time we are passing.  The hens don't like it if some are still busy but it's better than losing all our eggs.

[jaykay]

That's my understanding, is that each hen gets an hour later each day, until it's dark, when she stops laying. If we didn't take the eggs that would then give her a clutch to start sitting. It seems to be bourne out in practice too, sometimes my hens are laying early, sometimes later but usually spread all through the day once they're all going :-)

[manian]

i let the girls out about half 6
the first egg is often laid (different one each day) and then they keep coming till about 4-6pm

[little blue]

ours are all over the place, timewise .... because of the "egg cycle" (and the sheer bloodymindedness of our hens!)

We also have one who does the whole "I've laid an egg!" battle cry BEFORE she lays - I'm sure its only for the flock's entertainment in watching my O/H nip in and out of the shed looking for an egg!!

[Beewyched]

One of ours (yep only one  ) lays in the house at dawn - then encourages the cockeral to tell the world & if we haven't heard him we'll get a snooze allowance then a wet Setter nose-alarm 

The rest of the hens seem to lay as & when they feel like it anytime between being let out & about 3.00pm, usually in one of a few places in the byres - then it's a competition to see if we can get them before the crows & magpies 

Loosey - fancy evicting your OH's ferrets - hope you've provided alternative accommodation 

[doganjo]

My hens are shut in their shed till about 8.30 am, (I look through the window and there's usually one egg at that time)then out into their (large) run till all five dogs have had a good run, say about 11.30 am, when I let them into the paddock and check the shed.  I clean out the overnight muck, and put in fresh straw at that point and usually find another 4 or 5 eggs.  Sometimes there are more when I put them back in the run before the dogs' afternoon check for chicken poo when they come back from their walks.  On the odd occasion there is another one when I feed them at teatime.  I can't pin down which hen is laying when but it seems most of mine lay between 9 and 4

[northfifeduckling]

I let mine out around 8 and if any the youngsters may have laid theirs first by that time. Most of the older ladies lay between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. 

[loosey]

Loosey - fancy evicting your OH's ferrets - hope you've provided alternative accommodation 

Did I ever! He's bloody put them in one of my stables!!!

[Beewyched]

Loosey - fancy evicting your OH's ferrets - hope you've provided alternative accommodation 

Did I ever! He's bloody put them in one of my stables!!!

Oh dear - hope that doesn't mean a homeless pony now