How Many Hens Do I Need?
The number of hens for the eggs your household eats, or the eggs from the hens you already have.
Part of the 🌾 Farmers toolkit, with more tools made for the job.
Depends on the breed, her age, the season and daylight. Use a cautious number, or your own count.
Shows the eggs they give you.
Type the people, the eggs each eats and the eggs a hen lays, and the number of hens you need appears here.
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Enter how many people are eating, how many eggs each eats a week, and how many eggs a hen lays a week. This gives the number of hens you need. Add the hens you already have to see how many eggs they give.
How many eggs a hen lays depends on the breed, her age, the season and the daylight, and her feed. Many hens lay best in their first one to two years and then slow down. Winter and moulting cut it too. This tool does not guess a number, so put in a cautious one from your breed and your own records.
How it’s worked out
- Eggs wanted a week is the people times the eggs each eats.
- Hens needed is the eggs wanted divided by the eggs a hen lays a week, rounded up to a whole hen.
- For hens you already have, eggs a week is the hens times the eggs each lays. Month and year use 52 weeks a year.
4 people eating 4 eggs a week each want 16 eggs. If a hen gives 5 eggs a week, you need 4 hens, which give 20 eggs a week.
Common mistakes
- Using the best-case number. A hen that lays 6 eggs a week in spring may lay far fewer in winter or when she is older.
- Forgetting the eggs you give away or cook with. Count baking too.
- Planning for exactly enough. Hens get ill, go broody or stop laying, so many keepers add a spare.
- Keeping a single hen. Hens are flock animals, so check the minimum number your local rules and the birds need.
Questions
How many eggs does a hen lay a week?
It varies. Well-fed hens in their first year can lay close to an egg a day in good conditions, and output falls each year after that. Breed, season and daylight matter too. Use a cautious number, or track your own flock for a few weeks.
Do I need a rooster?
No. Hens lay eggs without one. You only need a rooster if you want fertilised eggs to hatch chicks.
Do I need to check local rules?
Yes. Many places have rules on how many hens you can keep and where. Check yours before you buy.
Does it work for ducks or quail?
Yes. Put in the number of eggs a week your birds lay and it does the same sum.
Where the method comes from
Estimates only
These are estimates and general information, not agronomic, financial or professional advice. Yields, laying rates, feed amounts, prices and rainfall vary a lot, so use your own numbers and local advice.
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