Coop & flock
How many chickens do I need for the eggs I want?
Work back from eggs per week. A good layer gives about 4 to 5 a week in her first year, fewer after that.
How this works
Sizes a flock to an egg target: pick a laying rate and it figures the hens, each eating ¼ lb of feed a day. Production dips in winter and molt — the flock never read the spreadsheet. Already have birds? <a href="#egg-estimator">28, What will my flock actually lay?</a> runs it the other way, by breed and age.
Questions people ask
How many chickens for a dozen eggs a week?
Three good layers in their first year, or four to stay comfortable across a molt and a winter.
Do hens lay every day?
No. A productive hen lays roughly five days in seven at her peak, and a laying cycle runs slightly longer than 24 hours, so she drifts later and skips a day.
How long do hens keep laying?
Production drops about 15 to 20 percent each year after the first. Many keep laying usefully for three or four years, then taper.