If you’re considering starting your own chicken flock, you may be wondering how often and how big your egg hunts will be. How many eggs does a chicken lay a day? A chicken can lay an egg once a day. However, it’s usually less than that. Anywhere from 200-300 eggs a year depending on the chicken breed (more on breeds soon!).
It takes 24-26 hours for a hen to produce an egg. And no they don’t need a rooster to do it! You only need a rooster to fertilize the egg if you want baby chicks.
In rare situations, a healthy young hen will lay two eggs a day. There are a lot of factors that play a role in egg production: breed, age, stress, lighting, diet, and illness.
Chickens who are 1-2 years old will lay the most eggs. At 3 years old, egg production will decrease. By 8 years old, most chickens have stopped laying eggs. Age and breed are something that can’t be influenced. However, there are other lifestyle factors at play when it comes to egg production!
Most Productive Chicken Breeds For Egg Laying
Leghorns
Leghorns are the most well-recognized breed of chicken. These are the white chickens with red combs and wattles. They’re very pretty but also possibly the best chicken as far as egg production goes. They can lay between 280 and 320 eggs a year!
Rhode Island Reds
Rhode Island Reds lay brown eggs and can usually lay between 200-300 eggs per year. This makes them a good choice for egg-laying as well!
Plymouth Rocks
Plymouth Rocks lay about 200 eggs per year. However, they’re likely to continue producing eggs until they’re 10 years old! That's a few years longer than you get with other breeds.
How Environment Influences Egg Production
As the leader of your flock, you have a lot of control over their lifestyle. Keeping their environment and their diet in tip-top shape will give you happy chickens and happy chickens lay more eggs!
Stress Levels
When a chicken is stressed, their body moves the energy and resources used for egg production to coping mechanisms for survival. Temperature, diet, and illness are all factors that will stress a hen.
If your hens are overcrowded, they will be stressed. Make sure your chicken coop is large enough and that they have additional space in an outdoor run. You need at least 4 square feet per chicken for both the inside coop and the outdoor run. Nesting Pads provide a comfortable place to lay eggs and less broken shells during collection!
Of course you want to provide a low-stress healthy life for your chickens regardless of egg production. But egg production can be a bonus!
Temperature
Extreme temperatures can cause chickens to lay less eggs or stop egg production altogether. Keeping the temperature between 52 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit will usually keep egg production rolling.
When it’s hot outside, know it’s even hotter inside the coop. This is why it’s so important to have a well-ventilated chicken coop! As well as cool water and shade outside the coop where they can get a breeze.
Lighting
Daylight encourages egg production! This is why hens will lay more eggs in the spring and summer. Artificial lighting when there’s less daylight can help stimulate egg production. Timers on the lights can be used to create a schedule and routine for the chickens.
Chickens don’t usually complain about alarm clocks if they mean more light!
Diet
To create egg layers, a chicken needs to have a complete diet. One where they get plenty of energy, protein, and calcium. Hens in full egg production mode need 16% of their diet to be protein.
Nutrients work together to keep a hen's body and reproduction system running. Calcium is needed to make egg shells but when the hen isn't getting enough vitamin D then it won’t absorb the calcium it needs.
Sodium is also important for egg production! Quality Chicken Feed will supplement these crucial nutrients. Chickens are omnivores and need access to grains, vegetables, and insects!
Hens also need crushed oyster shells to promote egg production and chicken grit for digestion. Because if they can’t digest their food well, they can’t absorb the nutrients!
When a chicken isn’t getting enough water their egg production will decrease as well!
Illness
When a chicken gets sick their body moves its resources away from egg production. It has bigger jobs to take care of!
Chickens can get sick from:
Bacteria
Mold and fungi
Parasites
Viruses
They can also get sick in noninfectious ways such as genetic defects or nutritional deficiencies. The best strategy for chicken illness is to focus on prevention! Keep their coop and environment clean and dry. Prioritize a healthy diet and give them plenty of room to get their exercise each day.
How Many Eggs Does a Chicken Lay a Day? Depends How Happy They Are!
When it comes to egg production, if your chicken is a breed and age that’s able to lay a lot of eggs, it really just comes down to how happy and healthy your chickens are.
Which is great because who doesn’t want a happy and healthy chicken flock? Here’s to happy, healthy chickens and plenty of egg hunts!
We are not veterinarians, and none of our information should be construed as veterinary advice.
Before adding any new product, please consult your exotic veterinarian. If your pet is acting unwell and you have concerns for their well being, please contact your vet immediately.
