Age Pullets Begin Laying

I am just getting ready to raise chickens and have a few questions: What is the egg laying process and how many eggs per day will a hen lay? At what age should pullets begin laying? Do bantams lay earlier than heavy breeds?

Penny L, Michigan

A hen normally takes 24 - 26 hours to form an egg, from the time the yolk is released from the ovary to the time that she lays it. Occasionally, a hen will lay two eggs in a day, but they usually skip the day before or the day after (or both). I've never seen one that would consistently lay more than one egg a day. (It would be an incredible load on the hen's body to do this, too. Mobilizing the amount of calcium to form a complete egg shell is quite a process, and it would be awfully difficult for a hen to produce two shells each day.)

On average pullets beging laying at 20-24 weeks of age. Of course, there are a few factors affecting this. Size and maturity of the bird is one part of it. Some breeds mature sooner than others. A large part, however, is the lighting program. Increasing day length will cause a hen to start laying (if all other conditions are acceptable).

If a chick is hatched in late winter or very early spring, and raised with natural light, they can often come into production at a very young age. There is a concern with this, however. If the pullet is not mature enough physically when she starts laying, you can encounter problems later. They are more likely to prolapse. They will also likely lay smaller eggs throughout their life. There can be other health issues, too.

Regarding bantams and larger breeds, there is a lot of variation in age of maturity in the bantam breeds, as well as in the large breeds. In general, the smaller (egg-type) breeds will lay earlier, both in bantam and standard. Heavier, more dual-purpose or meat-type breeds will be a little older when they start.

Determining Which Hens are Laying

I have a lot of chickens and really enjoy them. How do I know which hens are laying and which aren't? When is a chicken too old to lay eggs? Is the general rule that hens lay eggs for two years true?

John J., North Dakota

There are ways to tell if a hen is laying. It is easiest if the hen has yellow skin (and feet).

A hen that is laying will have a nice red, somewhat waxy-looking comb. Her feathers may be rough, since she is putting lots of nutrients into eggs, and not into new feathers.

If you look at her vent, it should be moist and the skin should be pliable. You can feel her pubic bones, and they should be "smooth-feeling" and have some spread to them.

A hen that is not laying will often have a more-shriveled comb and it may not be as bright red. Her vent will often look dry. Her pubic bones will feel very sharp and be tight around the vent area.

A common problem is that a lot of the hens may be laying sporadically, so they will have the appearance of a layer, using these characteristics.

The pigmentation then becomes a good clue. A non-laying hen (or one that is laying poorly) will have more pigmentation in her legs, on her beak, and around her eyes and vent. The more eggs a hen lays, the more and more bleached these areas become. This is why it's easier with a yellow-skinned hen.

You can also get some idea from the molt. You can look at the primary wing feathers (the first 10 large feathers on the end of the wing). Hens usually lose these in pairs during the molt. In years past, it was common to cull the hens that came into molt earlier in the fall. You can get an idea of this by looking at these feathers and determining which hens are molting, and how quickly. The new feathers will be shorter at first, and will be cleaner and nicer-looking, so you'll know if they are molting.

I wouldn't say there is a hard and fast rule about two years being the limit for egg laying. Generally, a hen will lay fewer and fewer eggs each successive year of age. If you need to thin down the flock, it may be your choice to get rid of any bird that is more than two years old. This can be an effective rotation plan.

Defined Number of Ova

I have heard that a pullet is born with a certain number of ova, which determines how many eggs that hen will lay in a lifetime. Is this true?

D. A. Smith, Montana

Yes and no. It is true that a pullet is born with a certain number of egg cells. Some studies have shown that an 18-week old hen (ready to lay) has less than 1,000 ova (egg cells) available in her ovary. As far as we know, there is no mechanism for her to produce any more.

Of course, the number of eggs she will actually lay can be much less than this, depending on health, nutrition, lighting factors, etc. It cannot be more than that number, however.

Why Hens Stop Laying

My eight hens were laying fairly well—about two to five a day—but now they have not layed any eggs for almost a week. They have plenty of room in the coop and run. They get fresh water and food. They are fed laying pellets.

Stephanie, via e-mail

A number of things could be the cause. In the fall, there are two that come to mind.

Hens require 14 hours of daylight to maintain egg production. Once day length drops below 12 hours, production will frequently stop. You can provide artificial lighting to achieve a constant daylight length of 14 hours per day.

If the hens have been laying for quite a while, they could be molting, though it is a little odd for them all to molt together. You can usually check if they are molting by looking at the 10 primary feathers on their wings. If these are somewhat old and ragged looking, they are not molting. If they are molting, they should come back into production in about a month or two.

Additionally, stress can cause a molt. If they happened to be out of water for a day or so, are being frightened by something (predators, noise, moving to new housing, etc.) are all stress-related causes.

If the hens are free-ranging (or have a pen with some cover), I'd suspect that they are laying somewhere else. It is very common for hens to find a secluded spot to hide their nest. Look in dark corners, behind things, in tall weeds, etc.

Another possibility is that a chicken (or something else) is eating the eggs.

Disease can be the problem. One of the first signs of disease is a drop in egg production. Other symptoms include a dull, ragged appearance, discharge from eyes and/or nostrils or coughing.

Learn more about laying hens from articles in past issues of Backyard Poultry including "The Laying of an Egg, an Amazing Process," Feb/March 2010, "What's Wrong with My Layers?" August/September, 2008, and "How to Get More Eggs," April/May, 2010. —Ed.