How many eggs were laid by hens 150 years ago?

[Perris]

This is asserted in a book published in 1873:
"Hens of the better laying breeds, properly managed, should lay about 150 eggs per annum. Individuals will do much more than this, and have been known to exceed even 300."

Lewis Wright, The Illustrated book of poultry, London 1873. Online freely here
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012288930

This was regarded as the best of the poultry manuals produced in Victorian times, and he was the editor of a fanciers' journal.

 

[Perris]

Further to the last, I consulted the book to establish which breeds were known to Wright, and to find out which of those were 'the better laying breeds', and these are the results.

Breeds to which whole chapters are devoted:

1. Cochins
2. Brahmas
3. Malays
4. Game
5. Dorking
6. Spanish
7. Hamburghs
8. Polish
9. French, subdivided into
   1. Houdans
   2. Crevecoeurs
   3. La Fleche
   4. Bredas
   5. La Bresse
10. American, subdivided into
    1. Leghorns, white
    2. Leghorns, brown
    3. Dominiques
    4. Plymouth Rocks
11. Unclassified, subdivided into
    1. Dumpies
    2. Frizzles
    3. Rumpless
    4. Russian
    5. Scotch Grey
    6. Silkies
    7. Sultans

He cites figures that he was sent by a Mr Simpson of West Farms, New York, obtained from his small flock of White leghorns over 3 years, which averaged 159, 153, and 162 eggs per hen per annum (p. 424f). Wright says that the only breed that lays at rates comparable with this is the Hamburgh. So we backtrack to read the chapter on the Hamburghs, where we find that the pencilled variety was formerly called the Dutch everyday layer (p 360), and that a single hen, under favourable circumstances, will lay from 200 to 220 eggs per annum (p. 361).

 

[fluffycrow]

Further to the last, I consulted the book to establish which breeds were known to Wright, and to find out which of those were 'the better laying breeds', and these are the results.

Breeds to which whole chapters are devoted:

1. Cochins
2. Brahmas
3. Malays
4. Game
5. Dorking
6. Spanish
7. Hamburghs
8. Polish
9. French, subdivided into
   1. Houdans
   2. Crevecoeurs
   3. La Fleche
   4. Bredas
   5. La Bresse
10. American, subdivided into
    1. Leghorns, white
    2. Leghorns, brown
    3. Dominiques
    4. Plymouth Rocks
11. Unclassified, subdivided into
    1. Dumpies
    2. Frizzles
    3. Rumpless
    4. Russian
    5. Scotch Grey
    6. Silkies
    7. Sultans

He cites figures that he was sent by a Mr Simpson of West Farms, New York, obtained from his small flock of White leghorns over 3 years, which averaged 159, 153, and 162 eggs per hen per annum (p. 424f). Wright says that the only breed that lays at rates comparable with this is the Hamburgh. So we backtrack to read the chapter on the Hamburghs, where we find that the pencilled variety was formerly called the Dutch everyday layer (p 360), and that a single hen, under favourable circumstances, will lay from 200 to 220 eggs per annum (p. 361).

Out of pure personal interest, how many eggs do the game varieties mentioned above lay, according to him? I would've never thought to compare Hamburg to Leghorns when it comes to laying ability. This is really interesting, so thank you

 

[EuroChook]

This is asserted in a book published in 1873:
"Hens of the better laying breeds, properly managed, should lay about 150 eggs per annum. Individuals will do much more than this, and have been known to exceed even 300."

Lewis Wright, The Illustrated book of poultry, London 1873. Online freely here
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012288930

This was regarded as the best of the poultry manuals produced in Victorian times, and he was the editor of a fanciers' journal.

Indeed. Then came Prof. Frankengene and his search for the ultimate egg laying machine. Never mind the detriment to the chicken herself.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I cannot say as to what hens laid all those decades ago but I can say the Silver Spangled Hamburg hens I had were very good layers of white medium sized eggs averaging 6 eggs a week per hen. They also laid at that rate for 4-5 years!

This is an interesting thread.

Todays birds are far more prolific given my own personal experience with them as well as what is stated on the hatchery sites.

 

[Perris]

Out of pure personal interest, how many eggs do the game varieties mentioned above lay, according to him? I would've never thought to compare Hamburg to Leghorns when it comes to laying ability. This is really interesting, so thank you

There are no stats for that breed - very few people then, as now, bothered to count and keep accurate laying records, and Wright is depending on specialist breeders for much of his data - it just describes them as 'good average'. The relevant page is here

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hn4kga&view=1up&seq=364

 

[User105877]

I've had several game hens from a couple different bloodlines. They Game hens are good layers from spring to early fall If you can keep them from going broody, but are basically nonexistent after that.

 

[Perris]

good layers from spring to early fall If you can keep them from going broody, but are basically nonexistent after that

that's true of most of my birds, and heritage breeds in general I think. They take a proper break from laying, from going into moult through early winter, and restart with the lengthening days after the solstice.

 

[Perris]

I have recently learned that a modern female broiler breeder "will produce approximately 150 fertile eggs before being sent for slaughter at around 60 weeks of age" Nicol Behavioural biology of chickens 2015 : 153. In that respect at least then, modern meat birds are similar to the average performer of those 'better laying breeds' 150 years ago.

 

[BDutch]

Translated from the Dutch wikipedia site:
The history of laying hen farming, like that of many intensive livestock farming types, begins in the 19th century. In the Netherlands, laying hen farming existed until 1890, namely in the Barneveld area, a small-scale form of livestock farming. Until then, the animals were mainly kept as farm animals.

From 1890 onwards there was an explosive growth in the size of laying hen farming. This caused egg production to become a profitable business. For example, in 1910 there were already farms with a size of 300 laying hens, but a size of 50 was common. In addition to the large quantity, also the way of keeping it. Where the animals used to roam freely in the yard, in 1910 they were placed on an enclosed piece of land with a night shelter and laying cage. Between 1923 and 1940, egg production in the Netherlands doubled from 73 million kilos to 147 million kilos. In addition to the growth of existing companies, this increase in production was also due to selection. In 1930, for example, hens produced 116 eggs per year. But at that time there were already chickens at the Spelderholt poultry breeding research center that laid between 170 and 200 eggs. Nowadays chickens lay about 300 eggs per year.