How many layers?

[Littleblessings]

I have 4 hens at 24 weeks and 1 hen at 20 weeks old. Started getting 2 eggs a day 2 weeks ago. Yesterday got 3 today back to 2. All my hens are different breeds. When I look at the eggs collected this week I feel like I have more than just 2 laying. Can one hen lay such a large variety of colors or do you think I have all laying sporadically?

The breeds are: RIR, light brahma, buff Orpington, silver laced wy, and buckeye. The buckeye I really don't think is laying.

 

[LexChix]

My six hens are about 22 weeks old, and we have four different breeds among them. They aren't all laying, but we think two of them lay every day, and one or two others lay most days. We typically get 3 eggs per day. It's mysterious. I don't think they all are laying yet.

We think the White Leghorn lays daily and the other one that we thought was a rooster and is either a Light Brahma hen or some other breed. Our New Hampshire Reds may be laying, but we don't think the Cuckoomarans are yet.

 

[Spartan22]

By the look of the eggs in your photo, it seems you have 4 sporadic layers, since they just started laying not pretty consistent yet.

 

[aart]

They can vary in color a bit and definitely vary in regularity, especially when first starting but life long also.

 

[LexChix]

I'm wondering what is considered early laying. Will a hen lay consistently after a month, two or more??

 

[aart]

18-24 weeks is considered normal for most breeds to begin laying....so 'early' would be less than 18 weeks, some sexlink production birds can star laying 'early'.

It can take up to a month or so for a pullet to figure things out and probably form a consistent pattern of laying...might not be every day.

One thing about chickens......they are not always consistent.

Some lay every day like clockwork, some lay for a few(2-10) days then take a day off.
Don't sweat it, just watch and enjoy the ones you get.