My friend was told by someone at the chicken auction that every chicken has 240 eggs. Once they lay those 240 eggs, whether it take a year or 2 years they will then be done, and never lay another egg. I tried to tell her that there are laying chickens that lay more than that in one year but I guess someone else confirmed that what she was saying was true. How can I convince her this is false....or am I wrong? Thanks, LeAnne
My leghorn has given me 6-7 eggs a week for two years. Even during molt she lays. My sister in law had a chicken that on average layed 4 eggs a week and she layed until she died when she was 6.
Hello and Welcome to BYC! How about as an example one of the biggest egg laying chicken breeding companies in the world, ISA. Between 18 and 90 weeks of age they expect their many strains of laying hens to average around 400 eggs each. http://www.isapoultry.com/products/
Welcome to BYC Glad you joined us! How many eggs a hen will lay in her lifetime depends on the breed first of all, some lay only 60 to 120 in there lifetime, some prolific layers will lay 300 or more eggs in their first laying year, 200 the second year and 120 for the next three years, slowing down each year thereafter until they run out of egg cells. It also depends how long the hen lives, i.e. how long she's given. Many people process older hens as soon as they stop laying regularly, but hens can continue laying for many years, if given the chance. I've heard of a hen (A Buff Orpington cross) that still laid the odd egg aged 17 years! Factory farmed hens may well average between 300 and 400 eggs in their lifetime as they get slaughtered as soon their egg production slows down. Many people rescue and rehabilitate these "spent" layers and find they continue laying for a few more years, though not as frequently as they did during their peak.
look in any hatchery book and you will see where a black australorp holds the world record of 364 eggs in 365 days. they all advertise this. Welcome and enjoy! Steve.
