I'm cornfused...too many eggs!?

[The Lazy L]

8 + 1 Buff Orpingtons (8 hens, 1 rooster).

They are almost 7 months old.

Wikipedia states a hen will lay 175 to 200 eggs a year. Roughly that translates to a egg every other day. So with 8 hens I should be averging 4 eggs a day.

Mine have been laying 4 a day for about a month. Then 5 days in a row 5 eggs each day, back to 4 eggs for a few days then 1 egg, now 2 days in a row 6 eggs each day.

They are getting about a total of 9 hours of light a day. First snow of the season this morning.

Why so many eggs?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Because they are young. Next fall, they will molt and will not be laying for roughly 3 months. Also as they age, they slow down. Peak production is the first 2 years - then they start slowing down. Some hens slow down more than others. I have almost 4 year old hens and some of them aren't laying, some are only laying a couple eggs a week and a couple are still producing 5 a week.