How many hens should I get if I want 3 dozen eggs a week?

[TipsyDog]

I had 7 hens and got an average of 35 eggs a week. I just added 2 Red Sex Links and now I'm getting about 47 eggs per week. Keep in mind that is now, spring/summer. In winter you can expect quite a few less.

 

[schellie69]

I have 10 laying hens and get about 8 eggs a day on average, and I have 4 pullets not yet laying so I am looking at about 10 eggs a day. but it does depend on the chicken breed age weather ect.

 

[Chick CJ]

I have 8 hens, all of them a different breed. Some are high producers, some medium producers and one is actually considered an ornamental bird but lays about 5 eggs a week. I am averaging 42 eggs per week with low weeks (mostly due to dealing with broody hens) dropping to 36 and high weeks going to 48. I think 8 hens will get you plenty of eggs.
CJ

 

[luvmy4]

Thanks for all the info! I am not sure what breed(s) to get yet. Michigan gets pretty cold so I need hens that are cold hardy....and quiet.....looks like techincially we are allowed (1) hen not (1) type of class 3 animal......

even though we have 3 acres!!

I'm just going on the assumption that they made a mistake in the ordinances.....

I mean if you are allowed to keep a certain class of animals that includes rabbits and chickens, surely they could not expect you'd only get one! Who keeps one chicken???????

 

[sassychickengirl]

Quote:
From what I've read the wyandotts are pretty quiet and docile with good production. I'm picking up some silver laced and columbian wyandotts on Monday. Pretty birds and if you need something quiet then these might work for you.

If you have three acres, what is the liklihood someone is going to come by and check to see how many of anything you have? No rooster= way less noise, so get the birds and everyone else can mind their business

 

[TNRIRRoo]

I have 11 RIR hens but only 5-6 are laying right now. I thought they were molting but it has been about two months since their egg production dropped off. One at a time they are going to chicken quarantine. No egg and they get tagged with a red band. If I get an egg they get tagged with a green band. Some of my birds are 3 1/2 to 4 yrs old so it may be time for chicken and dumplings.

Responding to the original question from my 11 hens I was getting 10 eggs a day.

 

[herechickchick20]

I have 20 RIR hens, no rooster.17 weeks old,When can I expect my first egg?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Quote:

 

[briteday]

Quote:
Our RIR hens started at around 20-24 weeks. But I've had one that went almost 8 months before she layed an egg. Doesn't matter whether you have a rooster or not. Just like humans, chickens will ovulate (throw an egg out of the ovaries) whether there is a male around or not. Lucky for those of us who like eggs, chickens ovulate every 25 hours...humans only ovulate every 28 days.

To the OP, if I wanted 36 eggs per week consistently I would figure a 60-75% production rate (depending on the breed and time of year...most girls will drop to 40% production...some even 0%...during the winter, and mine give 85% Spring thru Fall).

6 hens at 60% = 25 eggs per week
8 hens at 60% = 34 eggs per week
10 hens at 60% = 42 eggs per week

6 hens at 75% = 32 eggs per week
8 hens at 75% = 42 eggs per week

My EE's were horrible last winter, dropping down to no eggs at all from 5 girls from early Dec until about theend of January when they slowly ramped back up to 75% in Feb. My 6 RIR's layed around 5 eggs per day all winter = 83%. So I've learned to choose my breeds carefully if I want our egg customers to be happy! I will be curious to see how our new sexlinks do this winter.

I currently have 3 delawares, 2 RIR, 2 barred rocks, and 4 EE's (11 hens total). We get 8-10 eggs per day...about 5 dozen per week right now during prime laying season.

 

[savingdogs]

I have 16 hens and I'm getting just about six dozen a week, so I'd say eight hens just like a lot of other folks here have.

My hens are Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red and Russian Orloff, about a year old. We are only using about three dozen a week, and I sell the rest for three dollars a dozen. Takes a bite of of the livestock feed bill for me. I actually use it as lunch money because I sell the eggs at work. I just took a couple batches of farm fresh eggs made into deviled eggs in with me to work, and after that they sold themselves.