Coop & flock
How many eggs will my flock actually lay?
A real estimate by breed class, hen age, molt and winter light, rather than the number on the hatchery page.
How this works
The opposite question to <a href="#flock-size">27, How many chickens do I need?</a> — that one sizes a flock to an egg target; this one takes the flock you already have. Breed figures are extension potentials (hybrids ~280 a year, dual-purpose ~230, bantams ~150 — the bantam number is hatchery data, no extension source publishes one), then the real-world subtractions come off: a second-year hen lays about 80% of her first year, the annual molt takes eight weeks out, and an unlit coop loses about a fifth of the year's eggs. What comes out lands on extension's own backyard totals.
Questions people ask
How many eggs does a Rhode Island Red lay a year?
Around 250 to 280 in her first laying year, dropping roughly 15 to 20 percent each year after.
Why did my hens stop laying in November?
Daylight. Laying needs about 14 hours and falls off sharply below it, usually alongside the autumn molt, so production stops twice over.
Should I add a light in winter?
It works, and it costs the hen. Adding morning light to reach 14 hours restores laying but uses up her follicle reserve sooner. Many keepers let them rest.