Do chickens lay eggs year around?

[1234duck]

Not to long ago my chickens started laying eggs for their first time, some I have in the incubator and some are in two nests in the coop. (Found this out b/c two of the hens are sitting on nests and wont come out of the coop) Since its winter and sooo cold i thought they wouldnt be laying eggs for a while. Guess i was wrong. Are chickens suppose to still be laying eggs? Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[Nic&Chickies]

Depends on various things: length of daylight seems to be a major factor,
their breed(s),
if too cold, they conserve energy and don't lay...

 

[Fierlin1182]

Ours never stopped laying for even a day. Flat out, those things.

But that may be because:
a) They are sex links, which are bred to be little egg machines
b) In Australia, the winters rarely go below 10*C

I'd recommend sex links if you want ones that'll lay year round.

 

[1234duck]

There are 2 hens 7to 7 1/2 mo. old Sicilian Buttercup/white Silkie mixed and another hen same age shes orange-ish color, a big chicken. (not sure what type she is) I Live in California and its real cold at night but the day time has been nice still. So i guess when it starts getting colder during the day time maybe they'll stop laying? lol Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[1234duck]

Also do you know why some of the eggs have a shinny smooth shell and some i noticed are not shinny... They look dull... No shine to them and the 2 hens laying are basically the same breed but 1 was hatched in the incubator and the other she was hatched by her mom (Sicilian Buttercup). ?? Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[Fred's Hens]

Julie

First year pullets will lay right through their first winter, as a rule. Older hens will moult in fall and take some time off to rest. Winter laying is not about the temperatures, as mere colder weather seems to have little effect. What DOES effect layer is the short days and long nights. Chickens pick up signals in the retina of their eyes, which triggers laying. As the days grow shorter in August, in the northern hemisphere, they become susceptible to stopping. By late October, the days have grown so short that many flocks stop laying, unless the owner provides them with a few additional hours of supplemental lighting.

Some eggs are smooth and sometimes, some are rough. There is lots of variety in texture of the shell coating from day to day. Normal.

 

[BasicallyHeather]

The breeds that you have also aren't known for their egg production, I believe. If you are only getting two or three eggs from them per week, then winter could cut that back to zilch easily. Also age definitely plays a role, as a previous poster said!