How many years do hens lay for? If you want a steady flow of eggs, how often are you going to have to cull and replace your flock?
Well, that’s what we’re going to be talking about in today’s video. Hey, everyone, It’s Ashley at Headrick Homestead, and I’m super excited to bring you another two minute quick tip.
Hen Egg Production Duration
Hens typically start laying at about five months of age, give or take a month or two, depending on breed. That first year will be their most productive.
At about 18 months old they’ll molt, and then they’ll start their second season and you’ll still get a good amount of eggs that second year.
Every year they will molt and their production will continue to drop as they get older.
So How Long Should you Plan to Keep your Hens?
Commercial laying hen flocks that are solely focused on production typically only keep their hens for a maximum of two laying cycles or two and a half years total.
Some even cull their chickens sooner after their first year. These larger farms normally choose breeds that produce really, really well during their first couple of years, but have a much bigger dramatic drop off after those first couple seasons.
Many backyard chicken owners take a completely different approach. They keep their hens for many, many years, sometimes even letting their chickens go until they die of old age and about 8 to 10 years.
Oftentimes, these backyard chicken enthusiasts, raise heritage breeds that don’t make as many eggs, but produce at a more steady pace throughout many years.
These chickens are more like pets for them. They don’t care about dropping egg production after a few years.
What’s my Approach?
I normally cull my hens after three laying season or about three and a half years old. I find this is a good balance for me on my farm.
If egg production is important to you. I’d recommend keeping your birds for two and a half to three and a half years before getting a new batch of laying hens.
Check out my video on how many chickens you need and the priorities to keep in mind when choosing a breed and how to decide on the number of chicks you need.
If your chickens are just pets, keep them as long as you’d like. Just be aware that your egg production will go down significantly after those first few years.
Well, that’s all for today’s two-minute quick tip. Now you just have to decide how long you’re going to keep your laying hens.
