When do chickens stop laying eggs?

[tgaines]

I have a friend (who knows everything) that is telling me that chickens will not lay eggs after 2 years old. I have not read this anywhere that I remember.
What are your thoughts?

 

[Chookchicken]

Depends in the breed. Breeds like Isa browns tend to only lay until they are 2-3 years old. Whilst breeds like Silkies can lay for many years, some people have said they’re Silkies are 12 years old and still laying.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Your friend is wrong about that one. Genetics and breed come into play, but chickens can and will lay eggs, productively, for 4-6 years. After a few of years, they will start to slow down, but they don't go from productive, to stopping all of the sudden. Some people have chickens that lay, occasionally, at 9-10 years old.

 

[Fallenone05]

Production breeds tend to quit laying and, well... To be blunt, die pretty quickly because they lay themselves to death. Some people have hens who are pushing 8 years old and lay 1 egg a month or one every few months. It honestly just depends on the birds and their genes.

Most breeds *do* however take a break around fall/winter while they molt. If you don't provide light, they take a break and their bodies recover, and their laying life is a little longer overall.

 

[tgaines]

We mostly have Rhode Island Reds.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I have a friend (who knows everything) that is telling me that chickens will not lay eggs after 2 years old. I have not read this anywhere that I remember.
What are your thoughts?

I think the (who knows everything) made every single one of us roll our eyes or sigh in relation, thinking about our own "friend" that could be described the same way.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I had two Amberlink hens, production layers, and they died within a year of each other. They stopped laying when they turned two. On the other hand, my four-year-old Java and Barnevelder hens tend to lay four to five eggs a week! My Grandma had a half-Ameraucana hen who was nine, and she laid about once a month.

 

[gtaus]

I bought 10 different breeds of chickens, and they more or less have stopped laying eggs after 2 years. My hens are 2.5 years old, and I only get 1 or 2 eggs per day from the 8 remaining hens in my flock. If you plan on getting chickens mainly for egg production, I would get a new batch of chicks at least every other year and cull the hens over 2 years old.

I never got chickens for "free" eggs because where I live you can buy a dozen eggs for less than $1.00 at our big box stores. It is much cheaper for me just to buy eggs at the store than to care for a small backyard flock. But there are many other rewards to having a small backyard flock which I enjoy. I have always said I bought composting chickens and the eggs are just a bonus.

 

[tgaines]

I think the (who knows everything) made every single one of us roll our eyes or sigh in relation, thinking about our own "friend" that could be described the same way.

I agree. But he doesn’t have any chickens. I thought I would ask the experts. I am learning more about chickens everyday.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I agree. But he doesn’t have any chickens. I thought I would ask the experts. I am learning more about chickens everyday.

Well, that's golden 5th degree black belt Tae Kwan know it all.

Edited to add: We're happy to have you. You came to the best place, in my personal opinion. There are some amazing minds here and I'm blessed to learn from them everyday