How long do chickens lay eggs? The answer to this common question varies based on the health of the hen, genetics, breed, and even stress levels in the coop. Knowing what breeds to choose, managing stress and boosting egg production through nutrition can help hens produce more eggs for a longer period of time.
Annual Egg Production: How Long Do Chickens Lay Eggs
Novice chicken owners may be surprised to learn that chickens do not lay year-round. When a pullet reaches maturity and produces her first egg, she will lay throughout the entire year until the start of the autumn molt. (about the age of eighteen months).
After molting, hens spend the winter months recovering from the wear and tear of the previous egg-laying season. In all but the most northern regions, laying hens resume egg production in late winter or early spring.
When averaging how long do chickens lay eggs annually, a reasonable expectation is about seven to eight months per calendar year.
Dual-Purpose Hens and Extended Egg Laying
How long do chickens lay eggs can vary since not all breeds are created equal. If looking for a chicken to lay an abundance of eggs for several years, choosing a laying breed is essential. Egg-laying breeds fall into two categories: high production layers and dual-purpose chickens.
High production breeds, such as sex links (Golden Comets) and Leghorns, lay an outstanding number of eggs for two years before production drastically declines. Though rare, some sex link hens have been reported to consistently lay eggs until the age of five, and some can lay for even longer.
During the peak of their production, these hens can put out three hundred eggs annually, and will easily outlay all your other chickens. However, their short laying seasons can be a disadvantage to flock owners looking for longer production.
Dual-purpose breeds consistently produce fewer eggs than high-production hens (about two hundred to two hundred and fifty eggs annually per hen). While these hens lay fewer eggs, they tend to lay for more years, creating a more even flow of eggs for a longer period of time.
Top Dual-Purpose Breeds for Long-Term Egg Laying
Australorp
Dorking
Orpington
Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red
Sussex
While all these breeds are excellent layers, Sussex and Plymouth Rocks are especially known for their longevity in egg production. Exceptional egg layers, these two heritage breeds consistently produce medium-sized brown eggs for the first four years of their lives, before egg production begins to drop off.
Keep in mind, chickens are individuals, so some hens may outlay expected numbers while others can produce significantly less than average production.
Mixing high-production breeds with dual-purpose chickens is a good way to help balance out a good flow of eggs consistently for several years without needing to add more hens to the coop each spring.
Egg Count Over a Hen’s Lifetime
The number of eggs a hen lays throughout the course of her life can vary, but a typical backyard hen should produce an average of six hundred to one thousand eggs over the course of her life.
Stress and Its Impact on How Long Chickens Lay Eggs
How long do chickens lay eggs will also depend on their environment. Is your henhouse a place of bliss? Or are chickens squabbling over the right to use the nesting boxes? Do predators frequently prey on your flock, whether in the coop or free-ranging in the backyard?
These questions may not seem like they would contribute to a chicken’s production, but high stress levels can cause egg laying to slow down or even cease.
Keep your flock happy and laying by providing plenty of nesting boxes and space in the coop and run for chickens to move about. Avoid housing aggressive breeds/chickens with easily bullied hens to help lower stress levels.
Last but not least, house chickens in a completely predator-proofed coop and run to prevent predator attacks from occurring in your backyard flock.
Chickens can become stressed for many reasons. Spending some time observing your flock will help you notice problems that arise and allow you to resolve stress factors more quickly.
Nutrition Tips for Hens to Maximize Egg Laying
Chickens are what they eat, so it’s little wonder that a chicken eating a healthy diet is more likely to outproduce a chicken eating foods with little nutrition. How long do chickens lay eggs is greatly affected by diet, so here are a few helpful hints to feed your flock for healthier, more abundant eggs.
Feeding for Longevity: How Long Do Chickens Lay Eggs
Probiotics work to keep your chicken’s gut and immune system healthy. Without poultry-specific probiotics, bad organisms can enter a chicken’s body, causing sickness and a decrease in egg production.
Prebiotics work to feed the probiotics and are a necessary part of a chicken’s diet. These two supplements work together to keep a chicken’s body healthy and in prime condition for egg laying.
Herbs That Support Long-Term Egg Laying
Many culinary herbs are chicken-safe and help reduce inflammation throughout the body, including the reproductive tract.
When left untreated, this inflammation can cause reproductive tumors and cancer. These medical conditions not only affect how long do chickens lay eggs, but they will also shorten a hen’s life.
Treats and Their Effect on How Long Hens Lay Eggs
The perfect treat during the winter months, scratch can cause as much harm as it can good. High in fats, calories, and carbohydrates, scratch can cause fat buildup around a laying hen’s organs.
As more fat accumulates, the hen’s body begins to weaken, and egg production ceases. Unlike humans, a chicken’s body can not lose the excess weight around their organs, so the best treatment for this diagnosis is prevention.
Did You Know? If a chicken’s body does not receive enough nutrition, she will withhold certain nutrients from her eggs. While this is vital for the hen’s existence, it’s bad news for the consumer eating eggs with less nutritional value.
Final Thoughts on How Long Chickens Lay Eggs
How long do chickens lay eggs varies for each hen, but with proper nutrition, reduced stress levels, and selecting long-laying breeds, filling your egg basket for several years without needing to replace your layers is possible.
This article about how long do chickens lay eggs was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.
