How often?

[FloridaChick13]

My Girl, Frida, is new at laying. She laid her first egg 10/21 and second 10/22. How long after starting to lay should she consistently lay an egg? Here I am with the new eggs. I was ecstatic!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Depends on her breed, each breed lays differently, some breeds like sex links lay almost every day, others like Orpingtons lay 3-5 a week, all hens will have times when they don't lay for a bit due to stress or heat, or cold, or things like molting or being broody.

 

[Zinniah]

One of mine just started laying 2 weeks ago. She lays about 1 egg every other day. I got 4 eggs the first week. Except once she layed 2 eggs back to back during the first week. 3 eggs this week.

 

[shodack]

One of mine laid 5-6 eggs a week right off the bat, the other three took longer to settle in, maybe 2-3 weeks.

 

[aart]

Do you free range?
Might be laying out in range area instead of coop nests.
It can take up to a month or so for things to smooth out and get 'regular'.

 

[Zinniah]

aart could be right, mine actually laid in a nest she built under a shrub. I added a two, 2x4 boards to the bottom of the next box (the box was 16inches high) to make it dark and cozy, and then added a bunch of pine shavings, so she lays there now.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I find birds settle in with laying in two to three weeks. The size of eggs can still be a little erratic for longer but consistency of laying has settled in by then. As for how many you get each week depends on the bird. I've had sex links and production reds lay 9 and 10 days before taking a day off then back at it so nearly an egg every day in pullet year. I've also had standard bred birds that only give 5 to 6 eggs a week. There's a big difference from hatchery and breeder birds in production, also from some breeds to others.