The key to when a chicken will start to lay eggs depends on the variety. A lot also depends on which breed of chicken you have.
When your chicken will lay her first egg also has a lot to do with when she was born. If she comes to age in the depths of winter, there will not be enough light hours to begin laying.
Another factor to take into account when waiting eggs is stress. If your chickens were 5 months old when you bought them, they might experience stress from the move. A stressed hen may not be comfortable to start laying right away until she becomes settled in her new home.
In my experience, I've had several pullets (young hens) who have taken almost 10 months before they started to lay eggs.
For example, my first group of chickens I brought home in July as pullets. They should have started to lay by October of that year.
Most of our flock didn’t start laying until March of the following year.
The majority of our other pullets that I have added to the homestead had the same timeline. This delay is probably because I always buy young pullets at the same time of year, in July or August.
In general though, chickens typically start laying eggs between 5 to 6 months.
I mentioned above that one of the factors involved when knowing how old a hen will be before she starts laying eggs has to do with breed.
Here are when different breeds of chickens start to lay their first eggs.
Clemson University highlights that RI Red hens will start to lay between 5 and 6 months of age.
In my experience, mature Rhode Island Reds are less impacted by shorter days going into their second winter compared to other breeds.
However, that doesn't mean that a Rhode Island Red hatched in June will start to lay her first egg in October - the daylight hours will be too shorts.
Once this breed gets going, though, it's off to the races. Each Rhode Island Red hen that we have will give us around 1 egg every other day in the winter months during their first few years, tapering down to 1 egg every few days in the "off" season.
Did you know most Rhode Island Reds out there are "production" variety and are not heritage? If you're looking for heritage hens, check out Sandhill Preservation Center's ordering system.
While ISA Browns (and Red Stars and Golden Comets) will usually noted to start laying at around 5 months, as noted by Backyard Chicken Coops. However, some folks have reported their hens laying at 16 weeks old!
ISA Bowns can lay up to 300 eggs in a year! They lay aren’t as impacted by winter as other breeds.
Note that these are hybrid chickens and are not as sustainable and long-living as a heritage breed. Learn more about the difference between hybrid and heritage breeds for sustainability on your homestead here.
Heritage Pullets shares that Leghorns, which lay white eggs, will start to lay at around 22-24 weeks old.
According to Oregon State University, Leghorns lay on average 250 eggs per year. They are a top choice for those looking for practical self-sufficiency on their homestead.
Clemson University states that Plymouth Rock hens will be mature enough to lay eggs at around 6 months old.
Plymouth Rocks are good, steady hens for egg laying. I have had one Plymouth Rock and she did slow down in the winter, but her spring nad summer production boosted our supply regularly. I also have a Barred Rock who is 4 years old and still lays jumbo-sized eggs into the fall, around every other day.
We have found that in general, Easter Egger hens will cease laying all together during the winter months or will lay very infrequently during this time, and then they will pick back up again in spring.
When we got our first flock of hens, it was one of our Easter Eggers who laid her first egg - on Winter Solstice of all days! Apparently she did not mind the short daylight hours. However, her sisters waited until spring to lay - the weren't in a rush as they waited for the sunshine.
After that first season, my three Easter Eggers totally stop laying from around autumn equinox to spring equinox.
Some silkies will start up earlier than this, but as a rule of thumb you shouldn't expect to collect anything from your Silkie until she's around 9 months old, according to VJP Poultry, a Silkie Chicken breeder.
According to Tractor Supply, they can take as long as 9 months to lay.
I've also noticed that my Black Copper Maran is the only broody hen in my flock. When she's broody, she'll sit in her nesting box and cease production. However, the trade-off is that she'll lay eggs for us sometimes during the winter, even now when she is 3 years old. This is one of my favorite qualities about her (aside from her gorgeous chocolate-brown eggs, of course!) and I hope to add more Copper Marans to my flock in order to have more sustainable egg production in the future.
According to Kalmbach Feeds, Buff Orpingtons are on the longer side for the wait to maturity.
As a pretty large hen, the extra wait makes sense - they are usually a pound or two heavier than their counterparts. This makes them a fantastic choice for meat, too!
If you have some new hens in your backyard, you’re probably working your way towards self-sufficiency and sustainability practices - which is awesome! Raising chickens for their eggs is a big step.
I was surprised that I could tell when our first egg-layer, Demi, was getting ready to start producing.
1. She became ravenous - she was quick to get as many treats as she could when I’d bring a bucket of greens or kitchen scraps over to the coop. It takes a lot of energy to make eggs, so it makes sense that she’d want to eat more!
2. Then, Demi started to get curious about the nesting boxes that we have, checking them out as though to see if they were up to spec.
3. The day before she laid her first egg, I found her just chilling in one of the nesting boxes, and she spent what might have been hours just hanging out there.
4. The next day, we heard her singing a loud song, and lo and behold, we had our first egg!
As the other pullets got ready to lay, I noticed that they would start to have a look at what Demi was doing when she was in the nesting box. They will sit with her and watch the egg laying magic happen.
Usually within a day or two, that curious hen would start to lay eggs.
For me, this curiosity around other hens has been the biggest indicator that a hen is starting to go into production.
Once chickens start laying eggs, their productivity largely depends on breed, age, health, and environmental factors.
Chickens generally produce eggs for several years, with peak production occurring during their first two to three years.
As they get older, production gradually declines. By the age of five or six, most chickens significantly reduce their laying frequency.
If you have offered chickens artificial light during the winter months, they will stop producing sooner, due to the fact that chickens have a set number of eggs.
The trade off is that you can be self-sufficient in eggs through the winter months.
Embarking on a self-sufficient journey by raising chickens for their eggs is a fulfilling and sustainable endeavor. Understanding when chickens start laying eggs is essential for effective planning and maximizing your self-sufficiency efforts.
While you're thinking about that first carton full of eggs, check out our guide to raising organic eco-friendly hens, or have a look at our fun list of name ideas for your chicken friends.
I also made a list of supplies for chickens if you're just getting started!
