how many hens to lay 100 dozen a year?

[mekasmom]

We use at least 2-3 dozen eggs a week. I would like to have at least 100 dozen eggs a year, and would freeze during the laying season to have eggs during the dormant season. How many hens would that be? Could 3 dozen hens do that with some to spare? Or would fewer hens be enough?
Thanks

 

[KellyHM]

3 dozen hens would be PLENTY. You could get away w/ 5 hens, assuming that they're a good laying breed and take 4 months (120 days) off.

 

[sussexgal]

KellyHM is right! I have 15 hens and get about a dozen eggs a day. 5 aughta do ya

 

[patandchickens]

I'll assume we're talking about "once they start laying but before they get old enough that production declines".

100 dozen = 1200. Basically 4 eggs a day, allowing for a bit of a drop in production during the winter.

You figure an excellent layer, like a production white leghorn or a good sexlink, may lay something like 280-300 eggs per year. (that you could count on. obviously a few overachievers will do better). At that rate, it would take 4-5 hens to get your hundred dozen.

A reasonably good layer, that gives you eggs 3 out of every 4 days and doesn't take TOO much of a break during the winter, would give you something on the order of 225-250 eggs per year. At that rate you would need 5-6.

A hen of a decent-laying heritage breed might give you an egg every other day and take a month or two off during the winter. That's like 130-150 eggs per year, so you would need 8-10.

A hen of a breed that doesn't lay especially well is going to put you lower than that.

Remember though that you may get some hens that are just not, individually, laying very well; also they won't start laying for 4-6+ months and after a couple years production may start to taper off (depends on how much they were laying in the first place, and management, and luck). So you need to figure that into your calculations and decide what you will do with those less productive birds.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Buster]

If you keep your hens under lights you won't have to worry too much about them taking a break in the winter. I have around 20 layers right now and they are giving me around 7 dozen eggs a week- this is the slow season too.

 

[CTChickenMom]

Is is possible to freeze eggs? I've never heard of that. It would certainly keep them lasting longer.

I counted up the average number of eggs I'll get per year from my chicks when they start laying and it came to 1230 eggs! Over 100 dozen! Wow!

Check my page to see what I have coming! I have a mystery chick coming too so that one could add to the totals.

FYI: Australorps average 260 per year. 10 of them would certainly boost your production!

Go to http://www.kippengrabbelton.be/engels/ for great breed information, including average yearly egg count per breed. Its a Euroropean site but more info than I've seen in most places. It's called Chicken Box.

 

[Buster]

If you don't wash the eggs and refrigerate them they can stay good for up to 5 months.

 

[mrsengeseth]

Quote:
wanna be sure...if i DONT wash and I DO refrigerate...right??

because if that's the case, I can stop being so paniced about getting them into the fridge so fast!

 

[Buster]

From everything I have read- yes. I have read several things on this but the most beneficial was a study that tried out all the old myths and compared them to each other. Hands down the longest lasting eggs were the ones that were refrigerated and of those, the ones that were not washed lasted the longest because they still had the protective blume on them.

 

[Buster]

And no- you don't have to refrigerate them immediately. Many members here just keep them on their counter. The blume is the most important thing, in my opinion.