How many eggs can a production hen lay daily?

[purosaviparos]

I have been reading that it takes 25 hours for a hen to produce an egg. In production lines, or what I have become to know as; genetically altered hens, are they able to more than one eggs per day? I have heard all kinds of stories about excessive vitamins, hormones and other un-natural ways to get a hen laying more than one eggs per day. As ugly as it may be, what is the deal there? Someone one time even wanted to tell me that they can get em up to laying 5 a day, they don't last very long (and I personally don't believe it) but I would like to resolve the hen egg-laying quantity myth

 

[Fred's Hens]

First, there are no hormones in the US. Not in the feed, no where. There was a brief, experimental period when it was tested, some 30 years ago, and it was a failure.

Second, selective breeding is not genetic modification. It merely selects carefully the males and females used for breeding. There are no genetically modified chickens.

I am not sure what stories you have "heard" but the reality is that a chicken lays an egg a day, and only on those days when it lays. The very best layers in the world only lay 330 out of 365 days. On that rare occasion, a hen may actually have two eggs "in the pipeline" and lay them both in a 24 hour day, but this is quite rare. Hope that helps clear the air.

 

[purosaviparos]

Sounds good Fred, 330 out of 365 is good and clean, naturally comfortable. And in the US, big time egg production companies have got to be pretty scrutinzed as far as what they are giving to their hens, so your info sounds legit. Who are the biggest layers in the US?

I'm currently in Mexico doing a teaching exchange program now going on 5 years, i've learned all that i know about chickens here in MEX and what i have read on BYC. Here pretty much the only feed line we get is Malta Clayton, this is from the US right? THought to be high or low quality? or somewhere in between?

And how did selective breeding ever lead to Broilers? One guys like "wow look how much that white rooster eats!" and another guys like "wow, look how fat that white hen has gotten, lets breed 'em and out came the Broilers? I was certain there was genetic alterations going on there but those chickens are just insane eaters. And if there is no food, they fill their gizzard up with rocks like their mentality just tells them to fill that thing and that is all they live for. And they grow so fat so quick that they are unable to walk, behooving to me.

And production hens selected on their, well "production ability" then huh? makes since, hens that lay good mixed with an active rooster lead to more future pullets that lay and more future cockerels that mate well. Good info, thanks