How Many Eggs Do Battery Chickens Lay A Day?

[deb1]

I used to have Buff Orp. They laid an egg a day each for three years. A dozen eggs a day was too much for my family of six people! We were always giving away eggs. LOL

We want to get chickens again and have decided to simply sell the excess eggs. We will probably get a variety of chickens that lay brown eggs.

Another thread though got me curious. The chickens raised on big farms are supposed to be able to lay more eggs per day then other breeds of chickens.

How many eggs do the commercial chickens lay? I don't want a yearly production as I am uncertain how many eggs my birds laid a year. I am just trying to see how the two types of chickens compared.

Does each commercial chicken lay more then an egg a day?

I am not trying to start a war between commercial and back yard chicken flock owners. The question is pretty straight forward so there should be no need for any bickering.

 

[rooster-red]

Chickens lay on a 25 hour cycle, 1 egg a day.
That includes commercial layers.

 

[Sunny Chook Farm]

My bantam cochins lay every day (when not broody) but I have 4 that lay every other day. Standards an egg everyday..

 

[deb1]

Okay. Now I am confused. I assumed from a comment on another thread that the breed of chickens used in battery farms must be laying more egg per chicken then those that are used in back yard flocks.

So, in general, a hen raised for commercial purposes doesn't lay more eggs each day then a hen used in a backyard flock?

Sorry to be dense about this issue.

I just assumed that there must be a big difference in production between hens used in commercial, battery type farms and those that I use.

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
Leghorns and "Red star" type hens used commercially lay (almost) everyday. The amount of feed eaten to lay an egg is commercialy efficient. The eggs are big, they can be purchased ready to lay.

Backyard you can buy the same type. Or you could buy a nice poofy BO that eats more for a medium egg. A 10 pound cohin will eat more and lay less putting more feed into feathers.

So backyard hens can lay as well, just not as cheaply, as a leghorn. My BO is always broody, so no egg a day here.

 

[deb1]

Quote:
Leghorns and "Red star" type hens used commercially lay (almost) everyday. The amount of feed eaten to lay an egg is commercialy efficient. The eggs are big, they can be purchased ready to lay.

Backyard you can buy the same type. Or you could buy a nice poofy BO that eats more for a medium egg. A 10 pound cohin will eat more and lay less putting more feed into feathers.

So backyard hens can lay as well, just not as cheaply, as a leghorn. My BO is always broody, so no egg a day here.

Okay, I think that I get it now. The commercial and the backyard chickens lay the same basic number of eggs but it takes less feed for the commercial chickens to lay an egg. Thank you.

I always took my eggs regardless of the chickens feelings on the issue. But I am a mean, mean person.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Well not exactly.

First of all the hens used in commercial brown and white egg production are not Leghorns or simple crosses of RIRs, BRs, etc. They are extensively tested and evaluated strains of birds selected to not only efficiently convert feed into eggs, but also to maximize the persistence of egg production.

While common hatchery strains of Leghorns and "Dual Purpose" hens will produce nice amounts of eggs for those of us with backyard flocks, they are not the product of extensively evaluated or selected stock so they will not be nearly as efficient or as productive as the hens used in commercial operations.

However, you can get close using the Red or Black Sexlink birds that capitalize on hybrid vigor to produce eggs efficiently. Put them in your flock and you will be happy with their production.

Good luck with your birds.

Jim

 

[patandchickens]

Also, a LOT of chicken breeds you cannot expect an egg each day. You might get an egg every other day, or every third day, or even less frequently... and they may poop out entirely for the darker half of the year, even if given some extra light.

So in summary: there are really two different ways in which battery hens are 'superior producers' compared to backyard chickens. #1 they lay more eggs PER YEAR (because of taking fewer days off and laying straight through the year til they begin to molt), and #2 they eat less feed in the process. Thus, it costs a lot less in total feed per each egg produced.

Pat

 

[deb1]

Thank you all. This is very helpful to me.

 

[dancingbear]

There was an egg laying record set by a Black Australorp in Australia, which is where the breed came from, of 364 eggs in 365 days. Most don't lay quite that much, but a good 'lorp hen will lay an egg a day, except when moulting or brooding. They don't all go broody, but some of them will.

The brooding instinct has pretty much been bred out of production layer breeds, so they don't stop laying for that.

Commercial layer stock is more efficient, but most of us with home flocks don't mind feeding a bit more to have the variety of dual-purpose breeds for home flocks. I like to watch my different breeds, they're so varied in looks and personality. I really enjoy my birds. I get more than enough eggs for us, and sell my extras.