I'm at 25 weeks... Math doesn't lie...

[Panhandler80]

Don't think they made the spreadsheet. Think it was one they got from hatchery

From hatchery website were the Low / High lay expectations by breed. The rest was me forecasting. I use the average of each breed they posted, and then weighed that average based off what percent of flock each chicken comprises.

I'd be willing to bet set over the course of the year I averaged about 14 a day. Like I said, math don't lie... That number just seems low to me instinctually... But that's probably because I did not take into account future years when they slow in the winter, during molt, etc.

 

[Birdsong 82]

That # isn't too low expectation. Since some don't lay every day and stuff like a broody or early molt other factors and will slow down when the get older. Some days you may get more than 14 and some days maybe a few less
In the end I think your future will full of many delicious eggs though!

 

[NatJ]

Have you checked their butts to see how many are actually laying?

I've had a batch of chickens where the first was laying more than four months before the last ones started.

 

[Panhandler80]

Have you checked their butts to see how many are actually laying?

I've had a batch of chickens where the first was laying more than four months before the last ones started.

Hahaha. Good luck catching this crazy ladies!

 

[NatJ]

Hahaha. Good luck catching this crazy ladies!

Sometimes it works to grab them off the roost after dark.

 

[Folly's place]

My plan has been to keep smiling and giving pep talks. Good food, and I do use a winter light from 4am to 8am, and having birds older, molting, and whatever, there's never a day when every one lays an egg here. Those charts are helpful, but they are statistical values over hundreds or thousands (millions!) of birds, not very relatable to our very small flocks.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Remember Samuel Clemens; "Lies, damn lies, and statistics"!

 

[Panhandler80]

I'm really not disappointed with 12 eggs / day. Considering 1,2, or 3 might not be laying, it just seemed like if I'm getting 12, and math says 14 on average, then maybe an average of 14 / day (more during some periods, and less during others) might be about what I should expect.

More than anything I was just curious what those with more experience thought about that number, for that flock composition. Remember, if I have a slow couple months of 11 / day, then an average of 14 will mean a couple months with 17.

 

[NatJ]

More than anything I was just curious what those with more experience thought about that number, for that flock composition. Remember, if I have a slow couple months of 11 / day, then an average of 14 will mean a couple months with 17.

Unless you are using artificial lights, they will tend to lay more eggs in spring & summer than in fall & winter. If you're working from full-year averages, then it's not surprising if they underperform at this season. Yes, it is somewhat likely that you will get a stretch averaging 17 eggs/day, next spring & summer.

Also, your charts show a low and a high for each breed. If your birds are actually laying at the "low" level for their breed, then of course they are below the "average" level.

And if any birds have not yet begun laying, that will really affect your results. Two less eggs than you expected each day can easily be explained by 3-4 birds not laying yet.

 

[Panhandler80]

Unless you are using artificial lights, they will tend to lay more eggs in spring & summer than in fall & winter. If you're working from full-year averages, then it's not surprising if they underperform at this season. Yes, it is somewhat likely that you will get a stretch averaging 17 eggs/day, next spring & summer.

Also, your charts show a low and a high for each breed. If your birds are actually laying at the "low" level for their breed, then of course they are below the "average" level.

And if any birds have not yet begun laying, that will really affect your results. Two less eggs than you expected each day can easily be explained by 3-4 birds not laying yet.

Yep, and like I said, I think a couple are not laying and some are not laying regularly. I hardly ever get a white egg for example.

What I used was the average of the published H/L for chicken. Below is a different way of looking at it that might make more sense... same average of 14 / day, though. The chickens in my particular flock (taking breed density into consideration)... should average 246 eggs / year. Some more, some less. (246 x 21) / 365 = 14.164