How Many Eggs Does a Broiler Chicken Lay Per Day?

Broiler chickens are a popular type of chicken bred specifically for meat production. But an interesting question arises – can broilers also lay eggs, and if so, how many? I did some research to find the answer.

What is a Broiler Chicken?

First let’s clarify what a broiler chicken is. Broilers are chickens that are bred and raised to produce meat. They are usually a crossbreed. They are made to grow very quickly and gain weight quickly so that they can produce a lot of good meat.

Some common broiler breeds include:

• Cornish
• Plymouth Rock
• Sussex

If a chicken is 6 to 8 weeks old and has reached its ideal slaughter weight, it is usually ready to be processed. This is well before the age egg-laying maturity.

Do Broilers Lay Eggs at All?

Many people think broilers don’t lay eggs because they are killed so young. But broilers are physically able to lay eggs; they just aren’t ready to reproduce before they are processed.

If allowed to mature, broiler hens can start laying eggs around 24-26 weeks old, just like any breed of chicken But this almost never happens in commercial operations where they are butchered as young chicks

Expected Egg Production of Broiler Chickens

As mentioned, broilers are not bred for egg production. Their genetics are focused on rapid weight gain and meat qualities rather than high egg output. So even if allowed to mature, they would lay significantly fewer eggs than dedicated egg laying breeds.

On average, a broiler hen might lay 2-4 eggs per week, or about 150-200 eggs annually. For comparison, a prolific laying breed like the Leghorn can lay ~300 eggs per year!

So in the rare case a broiler lives long enough, she will lay eggs, just not a lot.

How Many Eggs Per Day?

Chickens are physically limited to producing one egg per day due to their reproductive system. The egg production cycle takes 24-26 hours, so a hen can only ovulate and lay one egg per day maximum.

This holds true for all breeds, including broilers. If a broiler hen miraculously began laying, she could produce a maximum of 1 egg per day. But realistically, the average would be closer to 5-6 eggs per week as mentioned above.

Egg Color

Like eggs from any other breed, broiler eggs come in different colors. The specific color depends on the breed/crossbreed. Most of the time, eggs are white or brown, but blue, green, or pink eggs can also happen.

The color of the egg shell doesn’t affect taste or nutrition, it’s purely cosmetic.

Can Broilers Produce Fertile Eggs?

For an egg to be fertilized and develop into a chick, the hen needs to have mated with a rooster. Since broilers are typically raised in crowded commercial facilities with no roosters, their eggs would not be fertilized.

But theoretically, a mature broiler hen allowed to mate could produce fertile eggs and offspring just like any other chicken breed. This would be extremely uncommon though.

There are some specialized “broiler breeder” operations that do facilitate mating to supply more broiler chicks to the meat industry.

Why Don’t We Get Broiler Eggs?

The reason we never see broiler chicken eggs in the supermarket is simply their extremely short lifespan. They just don’t have time to mature and start laying before slaughter.

Broilers have been bred specifically for efficient meat production, not eggs. So producers get them to market weight as quickly as possible.

Could You Raise Broilers for Eggs?

While it’s hypothetically possible to raise broiler chickens and gather some eggs, it’s really not practical. You’d have to raise them for over 6 months before any egg production started, only to get a mediocre number of eggs.

For small scale egg production, you’re better off with a dedicated laying breed that starts producing sooner and sustains higher egg numbers over a longer productive lifetime.

Typical Lifespan Differences

Broilers are ready to be processed at 6-8 weeks old whereas laying hens don’t start producing eggs until around 20-24 weeks.

And laying hens continue to produce eggs efficiently for 1-2 years. Their average lifespan is generally 5-8 years.

Broilers obviously don’t live nearly that long since their production cycle ends after just 1-2 months.

Dual Purpose Chicken Breeds

Some breeds are considered dual purpose – providing both meat and eggs. Examples are Sussex, Plymouth Rock, Orpington, and Rhode Island Red.

These lay reasonably well, around 250 eggs per year, but also yield a good carcass. Not as specialized as a broiler or prolific layer, but a decent middle ground.

Health Considerations of Broilers

Selectively breeding broilers for extreme growth rate and body mass has caused some health issues:

• Respiratory disease due to crowded conditions
• Leg disorders from excess weight
• Ascites – fluid accumulation in abdomen
• Sudden death syndrome

So there are welfare concerns around commercial broiler production that don’t affect laying hens.

While broiler chickens are technically able to lay eggs if allowed to mature, their egg production is very limited compared to laying breeds.

Since broilers are brought to market weight and processed so quickly, most never get the chance to reach reproductive age and begin laying eggs. And even if they did, their egg output would be relatively low due to their genetics being selected for meat rather than egg qualities.

Realistically a broiler hen might lay 1 egg every 2-3 days if kept long term, but never maximizing at 1 egg per day like a quality layer could sustain.

So the short answer remains: Broiler chickens do not lay eggs in any significant quantity, with an average of 0 eggs per day under normal commercial conditions.