Can't find a straight answer on egg🥚 numbers? Annoying, isn't it! I'll get straight to the answer that you don't want to read. I'm that honest friend!
Q: You're here to find out how many eggs a chicken will lay in a day. Will it be 2, or 3, maybe even 4?
A: The answer is quite often zero, on average 0.75 (I'll explain later), or at best probably one.
Raw with a protein shake (yuck) or baked in a cake (yeah, that one please), scrambled, fried, or poached: however you enjoy your egg-fix, you'll want to know how many eggs you can expect to crack open if you invest in your own hens.
If you're choosing your chickens for their egg-laying abilities then you'll need to know which breeds can satisfy your family's feed needs, and how many hens you'll need to house to keep your fridge suitably stocked. They must pay their way in the world, right?
Everyone will tell you that multiple factors like a chicken's health, breed, and living environment will impact how many eggs she's likely to lay. They're right, but you're not daft, you know that! Let's look at some averages and some eggstremes to help you make an educated decision on your perfect flock.
You can't count your eggs before they're laid, no, but you can improve your chances of winning the eggy lottery.
Let's get cracking:
How Many Eggs CAN a Chicken Lay in a Day?
How Many Eggs DOES a Chicken Lay in a Day?
How Many Eggs Will a Chicken Lay Per Week?
How Many Eggs Will a Chicken Lay Each Year?
How Many Chickens Do I Need to Feed My Family?
Which Breeds of Chicken Lays the Most Eggs?
Do Giant Chicken Breeds Lay More Eggs?
What's the Record Number of Eggs a Chicken Has Laid?
Which Chicken Breeds Lay the Biggest Eggs?
What's The Definition of a Jumbo Egg?
When Will a Chicken Start to Lay Eggs?
How Long Will Chickens Lay Eggs For?
How Many Eggs Can a Chicken Lay in her Lifetime?
What Makes Chickens Stop Laying Eggs?
How Can I Get My Chicken to Lay More Eggs?
How Are Eggs Formed?
What Time of Day Do Chickens Lay Eggs?
How Much Daylight do Chickens Need to Lay Eggs?
Can Chickens Lay Eggs at Night?
Can Chickens Lay Eggs Without Roosters?
Do Hens Lay More Eggs with a Rooster Around?
Can I Eat Freshly Laid Eggs?
How Many Eggs CAN a Chicken Lay in a day?
A hen can lay an egg every day, and whilst it's rare, she can occasionally manage two, or a miracle-level three eggs in one day.
Reality check: whilst it's possible, it's not that likely that any hen will lay an egg every single day. The process of laying an egg takes 24 – 26 hours and at least 12 hours of daylight, so even the most lavish layers will struggle to maintain a daily delivery all year round.
"During the 2-wk monitoring period … 23 hens out of our total of 371 showed the ability to lay 2 eggs in a 24-h period, with a total of 26 double oviposition events documented over all hens for this 2-wk monitoring period. In one extreme instance, 1 hen laid 3 eggs in a 24-h period." (ScienceDirect.com)
How Many Eggs DOES a Chicken Lay in a Day?
Most hens lay 0-1 egg per day. 0.75 is the stat to have in mind when you're working out how many hens to home. That would be uncomfortable, surely? How is that possible?
Whilst hens can lay an egg a day (sometimes more) they won't do so for long, and some hens won't ever manage it. Real-world, happy backyard hens are likely to take just over a day to lay, and that's just fine by me! Take your time honey – don't let those roosters judge until they've tried it! We don't do battery farming here, thank you very much.
Regardless of a chicken's breed, a daily delivery should never be banked on. You'll be better off making decisions based on a hen's weekly and yearly averages.
How Many Eggs Will a Chicken Lay Per Week?
A chicken can lay 6-7 eggs per week. This high rate of weekly egg production is any girl's personal best though, and she'll only achieve these numbers when she's at her peak. This Olympic-level performance isn't sustainable and will taper off with age, during darker months, and during her annual molt when her energy is needed elsewhere.
An average hen will lay 2-3 eggs a week, and any lass laying over 4 eggs a week is considered a great layer. The best laying breeds tend to average 5-6 eggs per week.
How Many Eggs Will a Chicken Lay Each Year?
A hen will lay 200 - 250 eggs per year, on average. The best laying breeds will lay 300 – 350 eggs a year. Better find some new recipes!
Some breeds will lay throughout the winter too, meaning they maintain their weekly average throughout the year whilst other breeds will slow or stop as the days get darker or the temperatures drop. If you're hoping for an any-weather-hen, then it's best to consider cold-hardy breeds.
How Many Chickens Do I Need to Feed My Family?
3 hens will provide for a small family of 2-3 people.👪
Three decent layers will fill your fridge with half a dozen to a dozen eggs per week. This should be enough if you all enjoy an egg for breakfast.
4 - 5 hens will provide for a family of 4. If you have a slightly larger family who enjoys a daily dish of scrambled eggs and some egg-mayo sandwiches for lunch, then you might want to keep 4-5 hens to satisfy the bellies of your beloveds.
If you live to bake, or the other half is a wannabe chef, then lean towards 5 – 6 hens to guarantee 2-dozen eggs a week, and a treat for the neighbors now and then.
Which Breeds of Chicken Lays the Most Eggs?
The Golden Comet is the most impressive layer in the clucky community. She pops out an admirable 330 eggs a year. She's like a little popcorn machine! She'll even maintain this epic yield for the best part of two years before her production slows. My word. Girl power!
The chicken breeds which are known to lay the most eggs are:
- No. 1 The Golden Comet Chicken @ 300 – 350 eggs a year
- No. 2 The Rhode Island Red Chicken @ 300 eggs a year
- No. 3 The Leghorn Chicken @ 250-300 eggs a year
- No. 4 The Plymouth Rock Chicken @ 280 eggs a year.
Runners up laying upwards of 200 eggs a year include the Jersey Giant, Australorp, Lohmann Brown, Marans, Delaware, Orpington, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger.
Do Giant Chicken Breeds Lay More Eggs?
Giant chickens lay an average of 178 eggs per year, with Orpingtons and Jersey Giants ruling the roost, laying 200 or more.
You might think all the larger ladies should be laying lots of lovely eggs, but other than the leading ladies mentioned above, it's generally the egg size that increases to match mamma's physique, rather than the number of eggs. Generally, giant breeds are generous with size and quantity, BUT not always.
Whilst giant breeds take their perch on the top layers podium, they haven't monopolized the egg scene! The award-winning Golden Comet is only a little lady, averaging 4lbs in weight. She is small, but she is mighty!
What's the Record Number of Eggs a Chicken Has Laid?
The highest recorded number of eggs laid in a year was a whopping 371!😱
" The highest authenticated rate of egg-laying is 371 in 364 days, laid by a White Leghorn (No. 2988) in an official test conducted by Prof. Harold V. Biellier ending on 29 August 1979 at the College of Agriculture, University of Missouri, USA."(Guinness Book of Records)
Which Chicken Breeds Lay the Biggest Eggs?
It's not all about quantity - what about quality? The White Leghorn lays the largest eggs. She won't scrimp on quantity either and lays 250 to 280 jumbo-sized white eggs a year.
Some chicken breeds might treat you to more eggs per week, but how do those eggs measure up?
"The heaviest egg reported to have been laid by a hen is one of 454 g (16 oz), with a double yolk and double shell, laid by a White Leghorn at Vineland, New Jersey, USA, on 25 February 1956." (Guinness Book of Records)
Here are some of the extra -large & jumbo egg layers worthy of our admiration:
- The Leghorn Chicken - 250 to 280 Extra-Large to Jumbo-sized white eggs.
- The Red Star Sexlink Hybrid – 250 – 300 extra-large to jumbo-sized eggs per year.
- The Barnevelder Chicken - 150 to 200 dark brown large to jumbo sized eggs a year
- The Chantecler Chicken - 200 extra-large eggs per year
- The Golden Comet (Hybrid breed) - 300-330 dark brown large to extra-large eggs per year.
- The Delaware Chicken - 200 to 280 large to extra-large brown eggs a year
- The Minorca Chicken - 200 or more extra-large white eggs per year
- The Plymouth Rock - 280 or more large to extra-large brown eggs per year.
- The Rhode Island Red - 250 - 260 brown large to extra-large eggs per year.
What's The Definition of a Jumbo Egg?
A jumbo-sized egg weighs 70.9 g, minimum. Don't get too hung up on extra-large versus jumbo – there's not a lot in it.
When Will a Chicken Start to Lay Eggs?
Most chickens start to lay eggs at 16 – 18 weeks of age. Some breeds start as early as 6 – 8 months of age, such as Australorps, Golden Comets, Leghorns, and Sex Links.
How Long Will Chickens Lay Eggs For?
Chickens will lay consistently and reliably for 2 -3 years depending on their breed, health, and environment. Egg numbers will be highest in the hen's first season and then tail off.
How Many Eggs Can a Chicken Lay in her Lifetime?
A hen can lay up to 1000 eggs in her lifetime! I'm not gonna lie to you, this is a sweeping estimate, and it varies massively from breed to breed and they age to which they live.
If you want to estimate a breed's likely lifetime lay, you'll need to know their annual average, when the breed starts to lay and when they end egg production. Also, don’t forget that any hen will only be at her prime for a year, and after 2 – 3 years of gradually reduced laying, eggs might become sporadic or none-eggsistant.
What Makes Chickens Stop Laying Eggs?
Most hens will stop laying at around 7 - 8 years of age, but some will stop during their laying years because something's bothering them. It's usually temporary. The most common causes for a break in laying are:
- Illness or Parasites
- Molting
- Temperature Extremes
- Darker Days (winter)
- Stress or a new addition to the coop
- Poor Diet or changes in diet
- Dirty Coops
How Can I Get My Chicken to Lay More Eggs?
Healthy, happy chickens will lay more eggs. Simples! If you want your girl to be good to you, then be good to her. Chickenpedia's awesome online courses are the easy way to find out how to be the perfect chicken host to your chosen breed so that you can get the most out of your girls! They are experts in this area and will give you all the tips and insights on how to prevent common illness that strikes chickens down, and enable you with the tools to keep them in optimal health for consistent egg production.
How Are Eggs Formed?
Understanding the basics of how an egg is formed just helps us appreciate the efforts of our hens a little more! I won't dwell on the science side of things here, but if you'd like to know more, I love this speedy guide to egg production.
What Time of Day Do Chickens Lay Eggs?
Hens usually lay their eggs 5 -6 hours after sunrise. Why? Oviposition is heavily dependent on light exposure, which triggers the release of specific hormones needed to initiate uterine contractions.
How Much Daylight Do Chickens Need to Lay Eggs?
Hens need at least 12 hours of sunlight to enable the process to take place. Many hens will stop laying in the winter months without suitable light supplements. 14 – 16 hours of sunlight will provide optimal conditions for egg production. Extra light in the winter equals extra eggs. Invest!
Can Chickens Lay Eggs at Night?
Hens don't lay eggs at night. Nope. They depend on daylight to trigger oviposition. It's just too risky with those pesky nocturnal predators lurking about.
Can Chickens Lay Eggs Without Roosters?
Hens will lay just as many eggs with or without a rooster present. Unfertilized eggs are perfectly safe to eat
and there's zero guilt involved in chomping down on these yummy eggs - they were never going to become fluffy chicks.
Do Hens Lay More Eggs with a Rooster Around?
A Rooster's presence doesn't directly impact egg yield however he might help to keep your hens happy. If they feel protected, they'll rest easier, stress less, and forage freely which can all contribute to an improved egg yield. She doesn't need a man, but he has his uses.
Can I Eat Freshly Laid Eggs?
You absolutely should eat them! Once eggs have been washed, they have to be stored in the refrigerator, as washing the protective bloom off the shell makes eggs venerable to bacteria. If they're freshly gathered, then they'll do just fine stored at room temperature or cooked and enjoyed straight away.
Ready to proudly strut your stuff past the neighbor's window smugly swinging a basket full of home-grown eco-produce? Let's get that kitchen crammed with beautiful chicken deliveries!
Certain chicken breeds naturally lay more eggs, and some breeds will be better suited to lay in the conditions and climate that you have to offer, but no self-respecting hen delivers the goods unless she wants to. Period.
Poultry pets pay their way with eggs. If they don't rate the hospitality, they won't pay up. Make sure you're tooled up with everything you need to know to keep your hens happy and obliging. Check out Chickenpedia for unlimited access to courses, guidance, expert advice, and all the chicken-chat your heart desires!
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