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. ΛThe 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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Hi Christine
Great idea for the paths. Thanks.
yes, I slip and slide my way into the field to see to the ‘ladies’. We have open fires so use the ash and small cinders to make old fashioned cinder paths.
Hi Christine
Your idea of an improvised dust bath is brilliant. I think that you could well be right. The hens must be going crazy with all this rain. Although we have loads of gravel in the run it’s soupy.
Our lawns are a joke with long, treacherous muddy slicks where we walk. Perhaps 2008 is the year to make proper paths!
No, me either – daft thing! The only thing we could come up with was that maybe it was a way of having a ‘dust bath’ as the ground is so wet and soggy at the moment.
Yes, looking back over some posts, I think you’re right with the hay thing. I’ll keep using it, it seems to be more comfortable for them anyway.
Got 3 eggs today! Another hen has come on line!
Thanks for the advice
Hi Christine
I’ve no idea what your hen was doing with the hay!
I still use hay in the nesting box. You are more likely to harbour mites in straw as the stalks ate thicker and a good breeding ground for mites. I used wood and sawdust chippings in the main hen house and under the nests.
Lucky you getting eggs. Our hens are still not laying. They are getting on a bit now but just an egg a week would be good.
I inherited 8 hens from the farm across the road a few months ago. They are ‘elderly’ ladies but still laying – my first egg was on Christmas Eve! I have been getting 1-2 eggs a day since.
Went up to give them a treat of some bread at midday today and one of the hens had obviously just laid in the nest box. What intriged me was that she was standing next to the nest box, picking up pieces of hay (i’ve read the previous post about hay and intend to use straw from now on), and putting them onto her back – any ideas why she would be doing this?
Any guesses would be useful!
(Great website by the way)
Hi Su and Fred
Best of luck with your Australian adventure and your chucks!
hi geoff.
we are new to this site and in australia!!!
have just got 4 hens at “point of lay…..” will let you know when we get 1st eggs.
had chucks in uk before we came over dec 07 and they laid most days but they were rescued battery hens so were very happy to be free!!!
as our seasons differ a bit i wonder if they will lay over our winter as it will be warmer and lighter than uk winters?
at the moment they are enjoying the ozzy summer in their new hen house and run…we also give our chucks any kitchen scraps-they love it and my kids love feeding them too.
Hi Geoff π
Yes, I think that your farming friends have got a point – I think having a cockerel must make a difference.
Why not give your hens a few treats! If I come back as a hen can I live in your palace?
Hi (sorry I didn’t say hello before π
Yes we were quite surprised (and excited) when our hens started laying a few small practice eggs at the start of winter. Now it’s 4 a day as regular as you like. We do have a cock amongst them which a few of my farming friends think might be the reason, and also their diet -a few friends raised an eyebrow and asked when they would be getting grilled salmon on a bed of Rocket for brunch to go with their daily meals of sweet corn, greens, corn a few oats and mealworms for Christmas dinner…They also have a palace rather than a coop….