New here and to chickens!

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Hi, and welcome!
A hen laying fertile eggs will lay the same amount of eggs if they are non-fertle. The rooster or lack of one has no bearing on her egg cycle.
The hen will also go broody if she is so inclined regardless if her eggs are fertle or not. There are breeds that supposedly have the broodyiness breed out of them. Other breeds like silkys are natoious broodies and do a very good job of it.
Egg gathering is fun, even if you dont eat eggs. And if you have children or grand children even funner....
I get all color and size eggs. My customers love the variety.
Hope you have as much fun with your chickens as i do.
 
DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
A hen will naturally last more than 12 eggs a year. What will you do with all the eggs?
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I thought they only continually laid eggs because they are trying to have enough for a clutch, and if their eggs are taken every day they never get have a clutch, so they just instinctually keep laying? I've been reading up on chicken life cycles for a while and it appears that a chicken of egg laying age would start laying an egg a day when we start getting 14 hrs of daylight in spring until they have a clutch (typically around 12 eggs or so?) and then they go broody, sit on the eggs until they are hatched, raise the babies until they are independent and then by that time we start getting back down to less than 14 hrs of light per day again and mama chicken prepares her self for winter. Restart cycle in spring. If this is the case, wouldn't the amount of eggs that a chicken would naturally lay per year be the amount of eggs in a clutch (around 12)? Or am I misinformed?
 
Umbrellabones said:
I thought they only continually laid eggs because they are trying to have enough for a clutch, and if their eggs are taken every day they never get have a clutch, so they just instinctually keep laying? I've been reading up on chicken life cycles for a while and it appears that a chicken of egg laying age would start laying an egg a day when we start getting 14 hrs of daylight in spring until they have a clutch (typically around 12 eggs or so?) and then they go broody, sit on the eggs until they are hatched, raise the babies until they are independent and then by that time we start getting back down to less than 14 hrs of light per day again and mama chicken prepares her self for winter. Restart cycle in spring. If this is the case, wouldn't the amount of eggs that a chicken would naturally lay per year be the amount of eggs in a clutch (around 12)? Or am I misinformed?
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Nature doesn't work that way.
They don't collect a specific number of eggs before going broody.
Not all hens will go broody.
Not all hens lay an egg a day.
Hens will lay eggs with less than 14 hours of light a day. I've been collecting eggs every day all winter.
Hens can go broody any time. It's just more common in late spring and early summer.
 
DobieLover said:
Nature doesn't work that way.
They don't collect a specific number of eggs before going broody.
Not all hens will go broody.
Not all hens lay an egg a day.
Hens will lay eggs with less than 14 hours of light a day. I've been collecting eggs every day all winter.
Hens can go broody any time. It's just more common in late spring and early summer.
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Oh okay, so a chicken's laying cycle is specific to the individual chicken, rather than a consistent yearly cycle for all chickens. Thanks for clarifying!
 
Yeah I forgot to mention that my wife is allergic to eggs and I don't much like them. So we sell them. Depending where you are. I'm sure it says but I'm new and didn't see it haha. But anyway price them anywhere between 4 and 7 dollars a dozen and they will fly out of your refrigerator and they can pay for their own food!
 
Welcome to BYC! Enjoy you birds while they're little...it doesn't last long! Both great breeds you have picked out! Can't wait to see some pics!

Also, on the egg laying... I thought my girls had slowed way down for winter, then I found a nest they'd hidden with almost 30 eggs in it!! Even with that clutch size, none of them had decided to go broody, and they're still laying several times a week. Just depends on the breed.

I think you will find this article helpful!
 

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