A question that’s largely dependent on the care and breed of laying hen, we’ve outlined some major questions to consider when it comes to answering this question! The short answer, our data shows about 260 eggs in a year, and 500 in a lifetime! All of those numbers are subjective though– read on to know why!.
Chickens are amazing egg-laying machines. During her lifetime, a single hen can lay hundreds of eggs. But how many eggs can chickens lay? That depends on a number of things. We’ll talk about how many eggs chickens lay and what affects their egg production in this article.
Typical Egg Production
Once a chicken is 20 weeks old, it will usually lay one egg every day. This goes on until the hens are about two to three years old. In their first year of laying eggs, a hen will make about 260 eggs. After that, each year’s egg production slowly goes down.
The total number of eggs a hen will lay in her lifetime varies between breeds. On average, a hen will produce around 500-600 eggs in her lifetime Some chicken breeds are better layers and can produce closer to 800 eggs. The current record for most eggs laid by a single chicken in her lifetime is a whopping 1,444 eggs!
Factors That Impact Egg Production
Several things influence how many eggs a chicken will lay including
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Breed – Some breeds are genetically better layers, like Rhode Island Reds, Australorps, and Leghorns.
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Food—Chickens need good food that gives them enough protein, calcium, and other nutrients. If free-range chickens don’t get enough food, they might not lay as many eggs.
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Light exposure – Chickens lay more eggs with 14-16 hours of daylight. Egg production declines in winter with fewer daylight hours.
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Age – Chickens lay the most eggs their first 2-3 years, then production declines as they age.
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Health issues – Sick chickens or those with parasites will lay fewer eggs.
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Molting – Chickens stop laying eggs for 1-2 months when they molt and grow new feathers.
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Broodiness – A broody hen will stop laying to sit on eggs to hatch them. This pauses egg laying for weeks.
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Stress: Stress from things like predators, too many people, or moving to a new home can temporarily make birds lay fewer eggs.
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Extreme heat or cold – Temperature extremes sometimes cause dips in egg production.
Maximize Egg Production
Here are some tips to help your chickens lay as many eggs as possible:
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Choose productive breeds known for high egg yields.
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Provide a high-quality layer feed with 16-18% protein.
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Give free choice calcium like oyster shell grit.
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Ensure 14 hours of daylight with artificial lighting.
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Discourage broodiness by collecting eggs often.
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Reduce stress and overcrowding in the coop and run.
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Prevent common health issues with vaccination and cleanliness.
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Collect eggs frequently since hens won’t lay if nests are full.
With excellent care, some backyard chickens may lay well over 500 eggs in their lifetime. The average hen will produce 300-400 eggs over 2-4 years of laying. Even after their most productive years, many chickens will continue laying 1-2 eggs per week into old age. With their incredible egg laying abilities, chickens can provide a bountiful supply of fresh eggs for any backyard flock owner.
How to Care for molting chickens
A chicken who is molting is going through a natural hormone cycle when they are typically about 18 months of age. They may not lay any eggs at all or fewer during this time, and they will often eat more food because they are trying to replace and grow back the feathers they lost during the molting period. Keep the molting chicken fed a balanced diet, and expect them to eat more. Typically they molt during the colder months, and they have less feathers so they will eat A LOT to make up for this loss.
What can maximize production to get more eggs?
As a first step, good layers will produce well even if you choose a high-production breed and follow the best care guidelines outlined below. We believe in letting our backyard flock have access to pasture and foraging in a safe way, which means using chicken tractors on our farm and feeding them a high-quality grain mix made specifically for egg layers that contains at least 18% protein. Foraging, feeding scraps and bugs is only an added supplement to a complete layer feed that’s made for backyard flocks.
Other important things to consider is that a hen’s ability to lay eggs lessens as it ages. The first year, after the 22 week pullet period will be the highest number of eggs the hen lays. A healthy hen will continue to lay about an egg a day, average 250-300 eggs in a year, but even with proper care, the egg count will decline. The end of this post covers what we do with our hens once they have reached the maximum number of months of laying farm fresh eggs.
In our experience, we always choose ISA browns or blacks from a local hatchery and get them as chicks in the fall. This helps get eggs in the winter months, allows them to molt in the warmer season and avoids less spring chores for the busy farmers we are!.
How Many Eggs Will a Hen Lay in Her Lifetime?
FAQ
What chickens lay 365 eggs a year?
The Australorp holds the record for the most eggs laid in a year which was around 365 eggs. Chickens tend to lay eggs during the spring/summer when the days are long. Most stop laying eggs when it is winter/fall since the days are shorter.
How many eggs can chicken lay in lifetime?
There’s no definitive estimate for how many eggs a chicken can lay in her lifetime. But based on how many eggs an average commercial hen lays and how long she lives, we can guess that she will probably lay at least 330 eggs before she is killed.
What is the 90/10 rule for chickens?
The 90% rule for chickens is a feeding guideline that says 90% of a chicken’s daily food should be complete feed, and the other 10% can be treats.
What age do chickens stop laying eggs?
Chickens don’t typically stop laying eggs at a specific age, but their egg-laying ability generally decreases with age. The first two years are when most hens lay the most eggs. As they get older, they lay fewer eggs.