Laying chickens how long to eggs

But how long do chickens lay eggs? And do egg counts change as laying hens age? We tackle egg goals in this FlockStrong article. This is because it takes hours to create each egg , and hens take a natural break each year for molting — often as days get shorter in the fall. Dual-purposed breeds like Plymouth Barred Rock, Sussex or Buff Orpingtons will typically also achieve top performance.

Remember, most hens will naturally slow down in the fall and winter unless you add supplemental light for a consistent 16 hours of light per day. How long do chickens lay eggs? Within their first year of life, most laying hens will be at their peak production at about 30 weeks of age. The first eggs will likely be smaller and increase in size over time. As your birds age, egg size will even out, and egg count will gradually drop.

Many families start raising backyard chickens each spring. After a few weeks of growing strong, most breeds will lay their first egg around 18 weeks of age.

At that time, switch to a complete layer feed and expect roughly one egg per hen per day during peak season.

High-producing, well-fed backyard hens can lay up to eggs in their first year of lay. Register today for Open Farm Day! Tire recycling event scheduled for May 15th. Now you might be feeling a bit of egg-ticipation and wondering when do chickens lay eggs? The first egg often arrives when hens are 18 weeks old, subject to breed, environment and nutrition. A rooster is not necessary for egg production unless you want to have fertilized eggs for hatching.

When pullets are nearing their first egg lay, their behavior changes. They may spend more time with the rooster, crouch for breeding or investigate the nesting area. At this time, keep them in the coop for short periods of time. Place golf balls or decoy eggs in the nesting boxes to help them understand the use of the nesting boxes. The first few eggs a hen lays may be irregular — possibly small in size, with soft shells, no yolks or double yolks — but, after a week or so, egg production should become more consistent, with peak performance at about 30 weeks of age and egg goals changing each year.

To help hens lay strong and stay strong, provide them with these necessities:. Create several comfortable, clean and cozy chicken nesting boxes. On our farm, we built the nesting boxes into the coops with outdoor access for egg collection. We keep the boxes closed until the hens are 16 weeks old and then provide open-access after that.

A general rule for nesting box size is one 1-foot square nesting box for every four laying hens. Download Article. Author: Sandra Stuttgen More from Sandra. Extension Livestock Programs The Extension Livestock Program provides timely resources and information to help farmers, consumers and allied industry to make informed decisions about beef cattle, poultry, sheep and goats, equine, swine, and meat science.

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