Just How Many Does It Take?

[Goodegg1]

I've seen so many varieties of chickens that produce eggs, for consumption, etc. I'd like to know realistically how many chickens does it normally take to produce a carton of eggs a week once a brood is old enough to start laying eggs?

Thanks,
Goodegg1

 

[HardisonHens]

I have 6 hens and get between 4&5 a day. So a typical week would give me around 30 eggs. If you are only wanting a dozen a week 2 hens could probably cover it.

 

[ThomasMcD]

Well i have 6 chickens, and i have been getting 6 eggs a day for the past week.

 

[Goodegg1]

Hi Samantha-

Thanks for the quick reply. I haven't gotten any chicks yet, and before I do I knew I'd get a response to my question. Can I ask you what breeds you have and did you purchase them locally?

Thanks
Roger

 

[Goodegg1]

Thanks for your reply Thomas. I was thinking 6 chickens would be the right number to start with once I get chicks.

Roger
Goodegg1

 

[HardisonHens]

I have two RIR that I got from a neighbor, I know they are at least 3 years old and I am still getting one a day from them, sometimes two.
I have two black sex link hens that are wonderful layers. They lay one a day each and they are huge beautiful eggs.
I also have two EE hens. One lays a green egg and the other a blue. Lately they have both been laying every day.

I love the colored eggs the EE give me. I currently have 11 RIR pullets, 2 EE and 3 barred rock.
From the research I have done they are all pretty good layers, producing around 330 a year.

All of my adults were from family and friends, The chicks I got from a local hatchery.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! It depends on the breed, and how you keep/raise them (especially if you add light in the winter) The Henderson chicken breed chart compares a lot of popular breeds http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html that is when they are laying well, a chicken will lay at its best about the first two years, then laying less every year, the estimate seems to be they lay about half at five years old that they did when a year old. The commercial breeds (White Leghorns, Red Sex Links etc will lay 6 eggs a week pretty consistently the first two years, they they are usually replaced with new pullets. http://www.isapoultry.com/products/ ie the Hendrix company has laying charts for its crosses, between 18-90 weeks they expect the ISA Browns to lay 409 good eggs on average.

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[TwoCrows]

Kelsie has given you some good links! You can also check our breeds section here on BYC for more info on what people are saying about the different breeds....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/category/chicken-breeds

Great to have you aboard and enjoy BYC!

 

[gander007]

Alright Roger,

great to have you onboard with us