How many days in a row can a hen lay?????

[SeaChick]

My favorite hen, an Australorp named Olympia, has given me an egg for 10 days straight now.

I thought that they laid 7 days and then took a day off..... ????

She's definitely my strongest layer; we keep a chart of who lays each day (easy to do with just 4 girls!!) and she's always laid the most but never 10 days in a row!!!

I'm just interested in what others have to say, I guess I was wrong about the 7 day cycle!

Stacey

 

[coopist]

Quote:

Nope, they don't have a 7 day cycle. A good hen may lay for weeks at a time. Mine do. Even in winter.

 

[Oblio13]

Interesting related aside, from Wikipedia:

"In 1900, average egg production was 83 eggs per hen per year. In 2000, it was well over 300."

 

[SeaChick]

Thanks!! I guess I though it was that "an egg every 26-28 hours" thing that caused them to lay later and later each day and then take a day off after a week or so.

Whatever the case, I'm not complaining!! With just 4 layers right now I'll take all the eggs I can get!

 

[Oblio13]

This question has led to some interesting Googling:

"... Australorp chickens hold the world's record for egg production with one hen having laid 364 eggs in 365 days ... in 1922 - 1923 a team of six hens set a world record of 1857 eggs at an average of 309.5 eggs per hen for a 365 consecutive day trial... these figures were achieved without the lighting regimes of the modern intensive shed... Well looked after Australorp chickens lay approximately 250 light-brown eggs per year...."

 

[SeaChick]

Australorp chickens hold the world's record for egg production with one hen having laid 364 eggs in 365 days

Well- Olympia is not quite THAT good, but she's sure a champ layer!! (Although her eggs are a bit smaller than her flock-mates... maybe that is why she's able to lay more than them?)​