When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs?

Chickens begin to lay eggs when a combination of two things occur: 

1. They reach the typical maturity point for their breed
AND 
2. The daily hours of daylight is at 14 hours.

Importance of Breed

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.

Importance of Age and Daylight Hours

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.

Importance of Stress

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.

When do chicken start laying eggs - by breed

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.

1. Rhode Island Red: 4 months old.

In our experience, Rhode Island Reds are not as impacted by shorter winter days. Each Rhode Island Red hen that we have will give us around 1 egg every other day in the winter months.

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2. ISA Browns/Red Star/Golden Comet: As early as 4 to 5 months.

ISA Bowns can lay up to 300 eggs in a year! They lay aren’t as impacted by winter as other breeds.

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3. Leghorn chicken: As early as 4 months 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.

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4. Plymouth Rock: Barred Rocks will start laying at around 6 months old

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5. Easter Egger Chickens: between 5 to 6 months old.

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.

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6. Silkies: between 7 to 9 months of age, requiring a bit more patience.

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7. Copper Marans: Copper Marans are late layers. According to Tractor Supply, they can take as long as 9 months to lay.

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8. Buff Orpington: at least 6 months to begin to lay eggs, according to Kalmbach Feeds.

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How to get your chickens to start laying eggs (if they're actually ready to!)

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.

Three things to keep in mind with getting hens to lay eggs as early as possible:

1. Offer light supplementation
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2. Buy older pullets or buy them earlier in the year  If you buy pullets in April, they will reach maturity when daylight hours are still long.
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3. Buy chickens that are already laying eggs - I often see chickens for sale on craigslist that are already at egg-laying age. Keep in mind that they make take a week or so to adjust to their new home. If it’s close enough to winter solstice, they might take a hiatus for a few months before they start up again.

How to tell if a chicken is going to start laying eggs

I was surprised that I could tell when our first egg-layer, Demi, was getting ready to start producing.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Seasonal Variations:

Once chickens start laying eggs, their productivity largely depends on breed, age, health, and environmental factors.

During winter, chickens' egg production may decrease due to reduced daylight hours.

In the autumn, all of our chickens will start their yearly molt, leaving last year’s feathers behind for brand new feathers. This process takes a lot of energy on their part, and so they usually don’t lay many eggs during this time period, if at all.

Another variation that can pause production is broodiness. When an hen goes broody, she will sit in a nesting box and stay there for most of the day.

During this time, a hen will not lay new eggs. The trade off is that, if you have a rooster and give this broody hen fertilized eggs, you will have new chickens to add to your flock without needing to purchase them elsewhere.

Lastly, stress can cause hens to stop laying. Factors that can cause chicken stress may be an animal attack. In our experience, even loud construction noise or an extremely loud thunderstorm can cause the flock to be stressed and not lay for a day or two after the event.

Egg-Laying Lifespan:

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.

Chicken age for egg laying - self-sufficiency takes some time.

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!

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