All different chicken breeds will lay different amounts of eggs. This will also depend on the time of year. In winter chickens will drop of laying a little, some will completely stop laying, this is because of the decrease hours of light. Another time of year that affects chickens laying is late summer/autumn. Moulting their feathers affect the egg laying as they then put all of their energy into growing feathers back for winter. Some chickens may lay a couple of eggs but other may completely stop laying. They will stop laying for around 6 to 12 weeks.

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Rhode Island Reds

Rhode Island Reds are one of the better egg layers. They lay between 250-300 eggs per year. They will lay 5-6 eggs per week. They lay brown eggs and the egg size is large to extra large. Rhode Island reds will start laying at age 5-6 month which is 20-26 weeks of age. Their laying will slow down between 3-4 years. They will still lay but less then usual, once they get to about 5 years they will basically lay very few or none at all. Rhode island reds live until around 5-8 years old but can live longer with the right care. 

 

Sussex (Lights, Speckleds, Coronations)

Sussex will lay around 200-250 eggs per year. They will lay about 5 eggs per week. They have a light brown to cream coloured egg and have a medium to large egg size. Sussex chickens will begin laying around 6-8 months which is around 25-35 weeks of age. They will then lay great until 5-7 years but after that they will not lay as many or any at all. Sussex live until about 8 years but can live longer until around 10 years. 

 

Silkies 

Silkies will lay up to 120 eggs per year. They give you 2-3 eggs a week. The eggs are small with a cream colour. Silkies will begin to lay eggs from 6-9 months which is 26-40 weeks of age. Silkies will lay for around 2-3 years but after that they will lay very few to none at all. Silkies can live 7 to 9 years old, even longer with the correct care. 

 

Cream Legbars

Cream Lebars will lay around 180- 220 eggs per year. You will get around 3-4 eggs per week from them. The eggs are a pale sky blue colour and are medium to large in size. Cream legbars start laying eggs from 5-7 months which is 20-30 weeks of age. They will lay good for 4 to 6 years then the number of eggs will decline or stop. Cream Legbars will live 5-8 years old or even longer to around 10 years will the correct care. 

 

Broody Hens 

A Broody hen is a hen who wants to become a mum. She will sit on the nest with or without eggs and refuse to get off (will come off time to time for water and food) she will sit on eggs even if they aren't fertile. Chickens tend to get broody between spring and summer when the weather is warmer. With a broody hen you can either get some fertile eggs and put them under her for her to hatch out and become a mum. Another option is buying some day old chicks and putting them under her and she will think she hatched them (some hens will reject chicks). The last option is to debroody her by taking her from the nest and putting her in a cage where cool air will flow under her making unbroody but this will take around a week. There are also other ways such as holding their warm chest in cool water or placing ice packs under them in the nest but I always use the cage with cool air under them. If you just leave a hen sitting this can be bad for their health. Broody hens will eventually become unbroody but it could take months, it's bad for their health as they sit all the time, they don't eat and drink regularly as they should resulting in weight loss and being more prone to disease.