How many eggs does a chicken lay each week?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Chickens | 176 comments
“How come there were only four eggs in the basket this morning?'”
Danny asked when he brought in my breakfast tray.
Admittedly I had given John Coe four when he came to mow the lawn this week, but only eight in a week! Danny was concerned, “What are we going to do about our fry ups?”
Danny’s mother kept chickens when he was a child and as a Poultry Instructor, passed on her knowledge. Despite this both of us were a bit naive when it came to keeping chickens ourselves. Just before we collected our chickens three years ago, I bought a pretty little basket in a sale in Newmarket. We planned to buy six hens and I assumed that I’d collect six eggs a day. That basket gathered dust whilst we waited for the first egg.
We bought hens on ‘point of lay’ and threw a party to celebrate their arrival. The guests peered through the gloom at the hens and discussed how to deal with an egg glut. After the party we decided to ask our chicken feed supplier for advice. As we had zero eggs, we must be doing something wrong.
‘Try these,’ he said, producing a box of china eggs with a flourish. ˜The hens will take a peek at them and it will give them the idea.’ I hurried home, opened the nesting box and made plump tempting nests of sweet smelling hay to hold the china eggs.
The chickens seemed happy enough. I observed them having dust baths, sunbathing on the warm roof of their ‘day centre’ and running for a handful of grain in the afternoon. Every day I peeped into the immaculate but egg-free nesting box and trudged back to the house, disappointed. Summer turned to Autumn and then to Winter. ‘Hens go off lay in the Winter, so don’t expect any eggs until the Spring,’ a kind friend advised. I could have hit her.
We were away over New Year and when we got back, there were only five chickens in the pen. I opened the hen house door and there was the sixth hen, absorbed in her task. She barely noticed me as she was clearly straining. I rushed back to the house to tell Danny the breaking news. We crept down to the hen house an hour later and saw our first egg lying resplendent in a clutch of white china fakes.
Tricks and Tips:
- Chickens are at their egg laying prime for the first two years. After this, their egg laying decreases as they get older. Serious egg producers replace their hens after two years.
- Chickens are seasonal layers. When daylight hours are short their laying decreases. Laying gradually builds up from January and starts to decrease from mid September.
- Before you get your first chickens decide whether they are going to be layers or pets, or a mix. If you are going to replace them after a couple of years, don’t give them names. Danny named each of our chickens when they arrived (we got a mix). Need I say more?
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We managed four eggs today two double yokes, ‘
illie’ has adopted the chicks, she lets them sleep under her wings so cute will try and get a good photo. Dipstick is finally laying again, god I love these animals they are so complex. Good luck!!
Hi There:
I have just found your site and would like to say what a great read it’s been, most useful!! Like many posts on here it seems, We’ve had our Girls just over 2 weeks at POL, and just like everyone else have thought we would have started maybe have little egg-presents just because they were POL!!!We have been perhaps a little naive as to how complex our hens are so thanks for helping us to understand!!!
Our black rocks are giving us enourmous eggs double yokes, don’t know how long this will last but making the most of them. Moved them into their new house so expected a drop in pridution cause the two chicks were finally allowed to join so they all went into the new home together however, three double yokes again today.
Dianne hope this helps
Our black rock ‘Milly’ went off for about 3 weeks just kept her quiet and she is finally got a spring back in her step, she had poultry spice once a week seemed to work a treat. Also casteroil and some garlic powder over the wet months they have had two doses of that and all have springs in their steps. Worth a try if she off.
I have been reading the last couple of years posts on this great site. I live in France and have a mix of 2 Maran and six unknown bantam types aquired here. There is also a couple of home bred Limousine youngsters, two Buff Orpington babies and one bantom x bantom cock, also aquired here recently. My querie is that since the cockerel arrived, the hens have gone off lay. He is very handsome, kind and looks after the girls very well but they don’t seem to like him. I am very tempted to try to pass him on but everyone here already has their own. I can’t bare the thought of ‘topping him’ as he has done nothing wrong. Also, of the 5 young ones, I suspect that three might be 3 male but does anyone know how to distinguish other than waiting until its obvious.
It seems that one or other of the bantams is broody at any one time and a couple of them make a living at it! Although I do look upon them as pets, living out in the countryside here, I did hope to have a fairly regular supply of eggs. I think that my eggs must be the most expensive in the world!
One other thing, (sorry) One of the Marans seems to be off colour. She is sitting alone, hunched up and not interested in anything. She is last to leave the hen house in the morning and can often be found back in there in the day. I clean out and disinfect the house every 4 weeks, they have an 8m x 6m fenced run and every afternoon, they free range 7,000m2 of grass, woodland and my vegie patches!! Feed comprises, layers pellets, whole and cracked corn, fresh veg and fruit peelings and some kitchen scraps.
Many Thanks
Dianne
Hello Little Blue
I reckon that your hen was on the edge of going broody.
We have a similar hen who flirts with the idea and then decides that the non brody state is fine (especially when the wild bird seed is sprinkled in the morning!)
Broodiness a hormonal state. So presumably there is a redirect button! We used to tear our hair out with Mrs Boss. Now she raises new stock for us and could raise new stock for others. Suddenly she has kudos. A flock is complex, you will never learn everything. And that™s why people love chickens.
Lucky you with double yolk eggs.
Hi,
Just been catching on reading the posts.
Our Warrens lay an egg each pretty much every day, and we often get an enormous double-yolker. Technically then, one of our girls lays eight eggs a week, as she isn’t having a “day off” AND lays a double.
How clever is that?!
We had one (Number Six) go off lay for a few weeks, and she was very subdued and sleepy. Just as we were thinking something would have to be done, she recovered all by herself and has been a lovely productive layer ever since.
Still no idea what was wrong-not fleas, mites, worms, injury or crop blockage. Any ideas appreciated, as we’d hate it happen again!
Hi Trixy
Good news! Sorry I missed your comment on August 25th. When hens start to lay there are often a few blips like soft shelled eggs. Double yoked eggs do hens no harm at all.
Fantastic! We had 4 eggs today. Thanks everyone for the advice.
Hi fn
We are getting 2 eggs a day and now a soft egg from one of the others. Eggs still small usually but occasionally a larger egg with a double yoke. Does a double yoke do the hens any harm?
Hi Marc
Thanks for this.
Hi Christine
Your hens will all start laying eventually, you just need to be patient.
There will always be a hen that’s bottom of the pecking order. There is very little that you can do about this.
Hi Trixie
Soft shelled eggs happen when a pullet is just starting to gear up to lay eggs. So no worried for you. If an older hen lays a soft shelled egg it can be a warning that something is wrong.
Great that you got your first egg!
Hi Squeek
That must have been an older hen!
Hi Linda PH
I have no idea why your hen’s comb is black at the top. Apologies.
Hi Christine
Always supply a supplement grit and also oyster shells. Switch them to layers pellets when they are 16-20 weeks old.