How many laying hens to supply a family??

[Muggsmagee]

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I have Welsh Harlequins on my "want" list for spring. Are their eggs pure white?

 

[Muggsmagee]

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Sorry, I think we all started out planning and building for fewer than we eventually end up with. I "planned and built" for 12, well, okay, we built for a lot more. But I did not intend to have 26 chickens (now down to 21). Are you sure you don't want to just add on the current coop and get the number of chickens you need to enjoy all the eggs you can eat?

Yes! When we started out I wanted 5 chickens. Thank heavens we act first plan later. Chicken math took over and we now have over 100 chickens....10 are separated layers, and we have 55 more hens in breeding pens. Out of the ENTIRE flock I got 2 eggs today! Most of us will say the OP could use a "few" more hens.

Edited to add...DH came in with 4 more eggs tonight...total 6! We're looking up!

 

[Cowgirl71]

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You'll get more eggs if you increase it to 16 hours of light a day!

If you don't increase their lighting, you should be getting more eggs starting in February because of the longer daylight hours.

 

[cottage19]

We have 7 egg machines (cross bred RIR/WL). They're 9 mo. old and we get 5-7 eggs daily which keeps us and our daughter's family of 4 well supplied. My leftover eggs (not many) go fast to a few friends who are always asking to buy whatever I can provide. My goal for 2011 is to add at least 6 "food-bank" hens to provide eggs for our local soup kitchen. Our girls are spoiled rotten and provide a lot more than eggs - they are wonderful!

 

[bakerjw]

My 8 girls (TSC pullets) were putting out 8 for 8 at least 5 days a week this summer. Now that it is winter I still manage 5 eggs a day. We have 3 in our house at the moment so we had a lot more eggs than we could use. The nice part was that I'd sell a couple dozen a week to offset feed prices.

 

[Muggsmagee]

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That is a GREAT idea!

Good for you. I could easily do the same...I'll look into it.

 

[Cowgirl71]

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What color eggs do they lay? I've often wondered what brown x white would make...

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

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Yeah you need 2 hens per person, so in my family that is 24 hens!

but we have 30 because some haven't started yet and some are a slowing down.

If you really don't want to get a different amount of hens then you do need to switch them with better layers, Barred Rocks are really nice are great layers mine are 2 years old and have been laying an egg a day since they started at 7 months.
Australorps are also sweet and lay well.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have Welsh Harlequins on my "want" list for spring. Are their eggs pure white?

White to offwhite. I have 6 hens and none of them lay the same color. One is laying really round bright white eggs, and someone is laying really oblong pearl white eggs. They are pretty. The others are various shades of offwhite.​

 

[patman75]

You also have to plan for when they moult or if you loose any to predators. I added more chickens then I need and then sell the extra dozen or two to neighbors or family. To take care of 6 chickens or 10 chickens really does not change the amount of work for you. Selling the extras help pay for the feed.

GLW will only give you 4-5 eggs a week. If you get some of the high production egg layers you can get up to 6-7 eggs per week. With only 4 chickens that can be the difference between 16-20 eggs a week or 24-28 eggs per week.