Are Baby Chickens Instant Eggs?

Every farm store is all the rage these days. Backyard farmers are hatching at a rate that has never been seen before to keep up with the demands of their community. The question is are baby chickens instant eggs? What I mean by this is how long until a baby chick lays an egg after its birth.

Baby chicks are cute, fluffy and generally little balls of joy. They are fun to watch and typically pretty easy to take care of if you have some basic knowledge and a heat source.

While some breeds lay pretty early in life its going to be a commitment of lots of food, water and love until you get your first eggs. This is something that many people do not take into consideration especially when it comes to loss of money in feed before any first eggs either for home consumption or selling to family and friends.

Many breeds of chickens start to lay around the 6 month mark while some start as soon as 16-18 weeks there are some breeds that can take up to 8 months to lay the first egg. This can become quite tiresome for those who wanted instant gratification or the happiness of going outside to find that very first egg.

In addition to age, the particular breed of your chickens will also influence when eggs start to arrive. Certain breeds of chickens are known to start laying eggs earlier than others, and each breed has their own average age range for egg development.

Chickens that have historically been bred for the purpose of egg production often start laying eggs sooner (as early as 17 or 18 weeks old), including Leghorns, Golden Comets, Sex Links, Rhode Island Reds, and Australorps. On the other hand, heavier breeds like Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks are known to take a bit longer. Our Easter Egger ladies are always last to add their colorful eggs to the basket, which is a known trait for their breed.

The majority of young chickens will start laying eggs the first year that you have them. Yet if you happen to get your chicks later in the year (summer or fall) and they come into maturity during darker, colder days of fall or winter, they may wait until the following spring to start laying eggs!

This past year we were absolutely astounded to still have fresh eggs all winter because we had some late bloomers and while that is very unheard of, we were able to supply several local families with very very fresh eggs for Christmas baking and a few special Christmas morning breakfasts. It is not typical at all and while we were thankful we urged everyone to really enjoy this moment because it is usually not something that happens.

Whether you are looking to get chickens to enjoy their company, for fresh eggs that your household consumes or for eggs to make a little extra money it is important to know that chickens are definitely a time-consuming hobby and they need to be cleaned up after and believe me when I say it can get pretty gross. The reward with some patience is definitely worthwhile though at least in my opinion because you get the companionship of a great outdoor pet (don’t kiss them!) and a great gift of a breakfast right outside your door given a little time and love.

For more information on backyard farming and chicken keeping please keep an eye on Make Food Safe.