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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Hi, I have 8 young hens varing in age from 3 to 5 1/2 months old. I have 3 nest boxes set up for them with a white ceramic egg in each nest for inspiration. I found a small brown egg (cadbury egg size) on the floor of the hen house yesterday (June 3rd) but nothing today. I tink it was my Australorp that laid it but no egg today. I was disappointed as I thought production had finally started. I fear it may have been broken if they laid it on the floor. How do I get them to lay in the boxes? Should I put them closer to the floor so they can look into the boxes? There is a perch attached to the boxes for them to stand on. Also, I live in FL so does the hot summer here impact them starting to lay? Thanks!
Hi Chrisdee
Seeing a hen laying an egg is pretty rare. We have a hen who sometimes seems to drop an egg in the run.
Generally a hen likes to lay an egg in peace and quiet in a dark nesting box. Having laid an egg she often likes to sit on the nest and rest for a bit.
Your hens need to adapt to their new surroundings and settle with the minimum of stress. When they are in the nesting box, they shouldn’t be disturbed.
Hi,
Me and my husband just moved to the country and we and now bought 4 hens, when we were there looking at the hens, one happen to lay and egg and I said I want that one. We have got them home in the hen house and I have been watching all day hopeing that one of the othere three will lay one and sure enough none were done. I was also trying to watch them to see how they will act as to judge if they were going to lay an egg. Can you give me any advice on how often a sex link hen, will lay an egg or how they start acting like just befor they lay,my 6 and 5 yr. old would love to see one lay and egg, and truth be known, the 39 yr old kid in me would like to see it as well. If you have any information please let me know. Oh and we live in Cleburn TX, if that makes a difference. Thank you for any help or advice you can give
Hi Jen
Often when a chicken starts laying eggs she takes a while to get up to speed so to speak and can lay some unusual eggs (very small, or pointy).
She should settle in time. Love to hear what happens.
Hi, I’m looking for advice. My bantam marran, hatched in December 07, has laid five eggs. Three were long and slender, pointed both ends, and the other two which were last to be laid resembled blackbirds eggs in size. That was ten days ago. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Hi Sam
We bought ours from our local chicken equipment supplier Alan’s Ark. He also has plastic eggs. His website is here http://www.alansark.co.uk/and it might be worth contacting him about the eggs. We have two eggs in the nesting box for six hens.
You can buy china eggs here http://www.kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk/catalogue.htm
Any idea where the box of china eggs came from. Want to find some for a friend who has some hens.
Thank you!!!!!
Hi Amzi_chick100
I’ve seen these small circleson eggs every now and then. Nothing to worry about. Just slight irregularities in the shell.
Hi i was just wondering if anyone could help me so i thought id leave a comment here, we recently got some chickens and a couple of them have been laying already but i picked up an egg and it had like little clumps of tiny circles on the side of it, i dont have a picture but i wasnt sure what it was, could it just be extra shell or something, thanks.