Chicken Q&A: How long do hens lay eggs?

Question: About how long do hens normally lay eggs?

Answer: It depends on what breed you have, what your feed them, and what their living situation is like. For example, if you only feed your chickens every now and then, don't empty out their muddy waterers, and don't collect eggs regularly then you shouldn't expect your flock to even start laying (unless they are a strange, extremely hardy breed unknown to the world). On the other hand, if you take very good care of your hens, feed them exactly what they need (visit our archives to read a past article on chicken feed requirements), and cull regularly then your flock should be living 'till Kingdom come!