At What Age Will Hens Start Laying Eggs? What to Expect

Have you ever wondered at what age will hens start laying eggs? There’s no better feeling as a chicken owner than seeing that first egg in your nesting boxes.

If you’re watching your new flock closely and thinking “what age will my hens start laying?” you’re not alone. The wait for eggs can seem to never end. So here’s the low-down on when your flock will start to lay.

At What Age Will Hens Start Laying Eggs?

If you’re wondering what age hens start laying eggs, you’ll be happy to know that most hens begin laying between 18 and 24 weeks old.
However, there are a lot of different scenarios that can affect when a chicken will start to lay.

Let’s take a closer look at the factors that influence your hen’s laying age, and what you should look out for.

The Average Age A Hen Will Start Laying

Laying hens will commonly lay their first egg somewhere between 4 and 6 months old. However, that time frame can vary a lot depending on the breed of chicken, the overall health of the bird, and the breed of chicken you’re raising.

Breeds like Sex Links, that are bred to be production layers, will lay as early as 16 weeks. Other heritage breeds, like my favorite Barred Rocks, will begin laying around 22-26 weeks. Slow-maturing breeds like Marans can take well over 30 weeks to start laying.

Always pay attention to birds. If they are healthy and active, delayed laying doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem.

The Breed of Chicken Has A Lot To Do With Laying Age

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Fast-Maturing Breeds

Many chickens are bred specifically for laying and will start earlier than other breeds. These are:

ISA Browns
Golden Comets
Amber Stars

These breeds will start laying around 16 weeks. They’re perfect if you are running an egg operation and need consistent layers.

Most Common Heritage Breeds

Heritage breeds tend to mature more slowly than commercial layers. While these girls won’t usually lay as early as 16 weeks, you can expect them to start laying faster than others. Below is a list of the most common heritage breeds.

Barred Rocks
Black Australorps
Rhode Island Reds
Orpingtons

They will usually start laying at around 20-22 weeks.

Slower Maturing Breeds

Some breeds take longer to start laying, but lay beautiful eggs when they do. I have to admit, these sweet ladies are some of my favorites in the flock. Also, breeds like Marans and Cochins are very hardy birds. Check out some of the other popular slower maturing breeds below:

Marans
Cochins
Polish
Silkies

These breeds may not lay until after 30 weeks.

Other Factors That Influence When Hens Start Laying Eggs

1. Daylight Hours

Your hens will need around 14 or more hours of sunlight to start laying. This is because their reproductive cycles are triggered by photoreceptors. Light can cause their pituitary gland to release their ovulation hormones.

Think about it. Food is more abundant and the weather is warmer when there are more daylight hours. For the chickens, this is a great time to reproduce.

Chicks that hatch in the fall will often wait until spring to start laying.

This is also when they’ll tend to go broody.

The winter months would not be a great time to raise young due to less food, cooler weather, and more active predators.

During this season her reproductive cycle will naturally slow down. This is a period of rest for chickens.

There are some production farms that put artificial lights on their girls to trick them into continuous laying. While this does work, it can shorten the overall laying life of your hen.

I prefer to let the chicken’s body keep a natural rhythm by giving them a winter break.

2. Nutrition

Nutrition can greatly influence when your pullets will start to lay. Young chicks need more protein while older hens need more calcium.

Giving young chickens too much calcium too soon can cause them to have kidney problems as well as bone and joint problems.

Chicks will need a starter feed with around 18% protein for the first 16-18 weeks of their life. The protein will help them to grow at a healthy rate. Starting with crumbles will make it easier for the chicks to eat the food. You can change to a grower feed once they are a few weeks old.

Not giving a pullet that’s ready to lay enough calcium will cause brittle eggs which can rupture inside of her and cause peritonitis.

Layer hens need a lot of calcium to produce egg shells. Typically, a layer feed will contain 4% or 4.8g of calcium per day.

Their diet will also vary depending on whether they are able to free range, or are being kept in a coop full time.

Learn more about what a chickens actually eats. Also, check out my favorite black fly larvae.

3. Stress

Stress can delay a chickens laying a lot more than what you might think. A chicken that is in survival mode will not be thinking about reproduction.

It’s important that you provide a dark and calm and quiet place for them to lay.

Several years ago I invested in good nesting boxes. These made such a difference in our coop. It’s a long box, so chickens are stacking on top of each other. They’re also dark, so the girls feel safe and comfortable. You can use code LMF15 for 15% off if you decide to purchase one.

A safe coop is also important for laying hens. If the hens feel threatened by predators, they won’t lay. Make sure you have a predator proof coop where your girls can lay without threats.

Bullying within the flock will also cause stress. Chickens have a natural pecking order, but sometimes they can be downright mean. If there is a bully in your flock, the situation needs to be addressed in order for your girls to lay well.

Find out more about how to handle a bully chicken.

Take a look at all of the stressors that can affect your hen’s laying abilities below:

Predator pressure
Overcrowding
Moving coops
Bullying within the flock

4. Health & Parasites

Parasites, illness, or poor weight gain can slow development. Healthy pullets lay sooner than stressed or underweight birds.

It’s not uncommon for chickens to experience parasite stress. There are several parasites that can affect your flock.

Mites
Lice
Worms

These can strongly impact the health of your flock and decrease their production as well as their quality of life.

It’s important to closely monitor your flock for parasites and treat them if necessary.

Signs Your Hen Is About to Lay

Your pullets usually give you clues before that first egg appears:

Comb and wattles turn bright red and larger. This is due to hormonal changes
Squatting behavior when you approach
Exploring or sitting in nest boxes. You may find your hen sitting without an egg underneath her before she actually begins laying.
Increased chatter or “egg song practice”
Pelvic bones widen noticeably

If you begin to notice these signs, your hen will soon begin giving you plenty of eggs.

How to Encourage Healthy Egg Laying

While hens will begin laying on their own timeline depending on their specific genetics and their personal timeline, there are some things you can do to encourage your hen to start laying.

Provide clean, quiet nesting boxes. Hens prefer to lay in calm, private places. Providing a curtain to her nesting area is even better.
Transition to layer feed at the right time. A hen doesn’t need layer feed until she begins to lay. It has too much calcium. Be sure to provide her with a higher protein feed until that time.
Offer oyster shell free-choice. Never mix oyster shells in with your hens feed. Allow her to have free choice over eating them.
Daylight is important. Many hens won’t lay consistently until the spring and summer when the days are longer.

It’s important that you give your hen adequate support and time to fully mature. Laying on her own terms will ensure she has a longer, and more healthy life.

When Should You Worry About Your Hen Not Laying Eggs?

If your hens haven’t started laying within 34 weeks, you should start to look at potential issues preventing her from laying. These can include:

Parasite stress
Predator stress
Insufficient nesting boxes
Reproductive organ issues
Inadequate sunlight
Overcrowded coop conditions

It could also simply mean that she is laying her eggs in a secret place you haven’t found yet. This is especially true if you allow your flock to free-range. Check around your bushes and yard.

Also, Some hens are simply late bloomers, especially slower-growing or ornamental breeds.

Barred Rock Hen pecking the ground with white duck in background

Final Thoughts On What Age Hens Will Start Laying Eggs

Most hens start laying eggs between 18 and 24 weeks, but this isn’t always the case. Breed, season, and care all play a role, and a later start doesn’t mean fewer eggs over a lifetime.

However, what is important is keeping a clean coop and healthy, low-stress chickens.

With proper care, your chickens will be giving you plenty of fresh eggs in no time!

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More From The Farm

White chicken breeds are a stunning addition to any flock, adding a bright and crisp touch of elegance with their shining white feathers.

If you’re looking for reliable egg layers, meat birds, or just a beautiful breed to admire in your backyard, white chicken breeds offer a variety of options to suit your needs.