They're ready to lay eggs
When hens start laying by 20 weeks, "train" them where to lay by placing an egg-shaped or round object in the nest, says Dr. Kevin Roberson, a Michigan State University associate professor of Poultry Extension and Research. That's because hens feel safest laying where someone else laid.
To stimulate laying, increase light artificially in the coop by two hours then add 15 minutes more per week until reaching 16 hours. "When laying starts, don't let ‘day length' decrease," he says. A 40-watt light bulb is fine for a small coop.
Hens usually lay in the morning, he says. After several days of production, they rest a day or two before laying again. A flock of 15 hens will produce about a dozen eggs a day during their peak.
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