Introduction

The age at which your hens will begin to lay depends on their breed type.  Hybrids are the earliest birds to start laying, starting about 1 month earlier than non-hybrids. Non-hybrids, which include our rare and heritage breeds, typically begin laying about one month later than hybrids.

Hybrids

Most of the egg laying hybrids start laying at 4 to 5 months of age. These include Pearl White Leghorns, Black Stars, and Red Stars. Hybrid egg layers are bred by crossing two different lines or breeds. They are known for their excellent productivity and high feed conversion ratio.

Non-Hybrids

Most non-hybrids start laying at 5 to 7 months of age. These include New Hampshire Reds, Black Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, and many of our other breeds.

My hens are the right age, so why aren’t they laying?

If your hens are of laying age but aren’t producing eggs, there are a number of things you can investigate to determine the cause of the problem. Read the article below for more details:

9 Things to Investigate if Your Hens Aren’t Laying Well