I'm just starting to get anxious about getting eggs in the next couple of months. I'm a first timer and I'm wondering when I should expect eggs. I've heard 4-6 months but I'm wondering if it varies by breed? And once they are all laying regularly how many eggs a week do you think we will have (ballpark) we have 1 australorp, 1 plymouth, 1 delaware 2 Buff Orpington's and a Red Star.
Most likely your Red Star will be an early layer because that's what they're bred for. The others can vary; seems this year alot of breeds we used to know would lay between 18-22 weeks have been laying WAY late, like my Speckled Sussex girl, who just laid her first egg at 29 wks and 2 days old, about as old as my Buff Brahma when she started. You expect it of a Brahma, but not a SS.
I have 3 BO's and a RIR- I think 3 of them are laying (2 BOs and the RIR I suspect) now, one for the past 2-3 weeks and two over the weekend. They were born in the beginning of June- so 5ish months old.
Those are all good layers - you'll have the occasional day when they all lay. 4 or 5 should be your average in spring and summer.
The earliest first egg I ever got was from a Golden Buff hybrid, and she layed her first egg at 17 weeks old.
About half of mine started laying at 5 months. The rest kicked in between 5-7 months, except for 2 that are not even laying yet at 9 months (a Brahma and a Silver Wynadotte).