Maybe you got chicks a few months ago or maybe you’re just getting chicks now, and you’re curious when they’re going to turn from hungry freeloaders into productive egg laying chickens.
When a chicken starts to lay really depends on the breed, but it tends to be between 18 and 24 weeks, so that’s around 4 ½ to 6 months.
Newer hybridized, more productive breeds are going to start laying sooner. Your more traditional old heritage breeds are going to take a little bit longer.
If you’ve been waiting for your chickens to start laying and they haven’t, I wouldn’t be too concerned yet, as long as they’re still in that 24 to 26 week range.
I know it’s painful, but try to be patient…the eggs will come.
If you haven’t yet bought you chicks and you’re wondering what some of my favorite breeds are, you can check out my two videos: brown egg layers and one for colored egg layers – COMING SOON!
What to Expect Before your Hens Start Laying
Some things to keep in mind as you’re waiting for your chickens to start laying
They Often Start Out Small
When chickens first start to lay, their eggs are going to be really small.
You might get some weirdly shaped ones. That’s completely normal.
The eggs will grow as the chickens get used to it and start pumping them out.
Egg Production Will Start Out Slow
Egg production might start out a little slow as different hens start laying at different times.
But over the course of a few weeks to a month you should get some consistent laying.
If you have some hens that are getting really close to start laying, I also recommend checking out my video on what to do before your hens start to lay.
So in summary, hens typically start to lay between 18 and 24 weeks old. That’s what you can start to expect some farm fresh eggs. Egg production, size and egg shape will differ greatly between breeds as more traditional heritage breeds will start out slower and newer hybrids will ramp up but their lifetime production will not last as long.
