The wait for that first egg feels much longer than it is. The honest answer is that “18–22 weeks” is a useful average and a poor prediction — breed and season shift it by months in either direction. This guide gives you the age for your specific breed, the physical signs that laying is days away, and what to do when the first eggs turn out weirder than expected.
When do chickens start laying eggs?
A young female chicken is called a pullet until she is about a year old. She becomes “point of lay” when her reproductive system matures — typically 18–22 weeks, though the working range across all breeds is 16 weeks to 8 months.
Three factors set where your bird lands in that range:
- Breed. The single biggest factor. Light production breeds mature fast; heavy heritage breeds mature slowly.
- Daylight. Laying is triggered by increasing day length. A pullet hitting maturity in October may hold off until February or March.
- Nutrition and health. A well-fed, unstressed, parasite-free bird lays on schedule. A struggling one doesn’t.
Chicken laying age by breed
| Breed | First egg | Type | Eggs / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA Brown | 16–18 weeks | Hybrid | 300–350 |
| Golden Comet | 16–18 weeks | Hybrid | 280–320 |
| Sapphire Gem | 16–20 weeks | Hybrid | 260–290 |
| Leghorn | 16–20 weeks | Light standard | 280–320 |
| Rhode Island Red | 18–20 weeks | Heritage | 250–300 |
| Australorp | 18–22 weeks | Heritage | 250–300 |
| Plymouth Rock | 18–22 weeks | Heritage | 200–250 |
| Sussex | 20–24 weeks | Heritage | 200–250 |
| Easter Egger | 20–24 weeks | Mixed | 200–250 |
| Wyandotte | 20–24 weeks | Heritage | 200–240 |
| Marans | 24–28 weeks | Heritage | 150–200 |
| Buff Orpington | 24–28 weeks | Heavy heritage | 180–220 |
| Silkie | 28–32 weeks | Bantam | 100–120 |
| Brahma | 28–36 weeks | Large heritage | 150–200 |
| Jersey Giant | 32–36 weeks | Large heritage | 150–200 |
The pattern is consistent: the bigger the bird, the longer the wait. Large breeds spend their first months building a substantial frame before diverting resources into eggs — a Jersey Giant may take twice as long as an ISA Brown to lay its first egg.
If a fast start matters to you, choose from the best egg-laying chickens or the best breeds for beginners. If you’ve picked a large breed, budget for a longer wait and more feed before the first egg arrives.
5 signs your pullet is about to lay
You usually get one to two weeks of warning:
- The comb and wattles redden and enlarge. The clearest signal. They change from small and pale pink to full, bright red as hormones rise.
- She squats when you approach. Crouching low with wings slightly out is the submissive mating posture. It usually means the first egg is within a week or two — the most reliable single indicator there is.
- She investigates the nesting boxes. Sitting in them, scratching at bedding, rearranging it. See nesting boxes explained for the setup she’s looking for.
- Appetite rises, especially for calcium. She’ll start visiting the oyster shell dish.
- Behaviour changes. Some pullets get noisier or more restless; many develop a loud pre-laying cackle days before producing anything.
The pelvic bone check is another traditional method: two fingers’ width between the pelvic bones means laying is close, versus roughly one finger’s width in an immature bird.
What makes laying start earlier or later
Daylight is the trigger most people underestimate. Hens need roughly 14 hours of light to lay consistently, and the reproductive system responds to lengthening days. A pullet that matures in September might not lay until late winter — that’s not a fault, it’s normal seasonal biology.
Feed matters through the whole grow-out: chick starter to 6 weeks, then grower feed to about 18 weeks. Under-feeding or poor-quality feed during this window delays maturity. Full detail in what chickens eat.
Stress pushes laying back — moving coops, introducing new birds, predator scares, and overcrowding all delay onset. Check your space against how much space chickens need.
Parasites and illness delay maturity quietly. A pullet carrying a mite burden or worms is spending energy on survival, not eggs.
A note on supplemental lighting: adding light to force earlier or off-season laying works, but many keepers skip it for a first-year flock. Allowing a natural winter rest is generally considered better for long-term health and laying longevity.
Why the first eggs look strange
Nearly every new keeper worries about this. First eggs are frequently:
- Very small — “pullet eggs”, sometimes half the size of a mature egg. Size increases over the first two months of laying.
- Odd-shaped — pointed, round, or lumpy.
- Soft or shell-less — a rubbery membrane with no hard shell.
- Yolkless — tiny “fairy eggs” or “wind eggs” with no yolk at all.
- Double-yolked — the release timing hasn’t settled yet.
All of this is normal for the first few weeks while the reproductive system calibrates, and all of it is edible. What matters is whether it continues. Persistent soft shells after the first month usually means a calcium shortfall — offer crushed oyster shell free-choice in a separate dish, never mixed into feed, so hens take what they need.
Also expect the first egg to turn up somewhere ridiculous. Pullets often lay on the floor, in a corner, or outside entirely before they work out what the boxes are for. A ceramic egg or golf ball in each box speeds up the lesson considerably.
When to switch to layer feed
Timing this correctly matters more than most beginners realise:
- 0–6 weeks: chick starter, 18–20% protein.
- 6–18 weeks: grower feed, 15–16% protein. No added calcium.
- 18 weeks or first egg, whichever comes first: switch to layer feed, 16–18% protein, plus free-choice oyster shell.
Do not start layer feed early. The high calcium in layer rations can damage the kidneys of birds that aren’t yet laying. If your flock is mixed-age, feed everyone grower feed and offer oyster shell separately — laying hens take what they need and the youngsters ignore it.
How to encourage laying
You can’t rush biology, but you can remove everything that delays it:
- Complete layer feed and constant fresh water. Dehydration halts laying faster than almost anything else.
- Free-choice calcium in a separate dish.
- Keep treats under 10% of intake. Hens filling up on scratch and kitchen scraps are short on the protein and calcium eggs require.
- Clean, dim, private nesting boxes, one per 3–4 hens, lower than the roosts.
- Enough space, so stress and bullying don’t suppress laying.
- Parasite control. Check for mites after dark, when they’re active on the birds.
- Patience. With a large heritage breed, 6–8 months is normal, not a problem to solve.
How long will she keep laying?
Laying peaks in the first year, then declines roughly 10–20% per year after that.
- Hybrids (ISA Brown, Golden Comet) lay hardest for 2–3 years, then drop off sharply.
- Heritage breeds lay fewer eggs annually but keep going for 4–6 years or more.
Expect an annual pause. Every autumn, hens moult — dropping and regrowing feathers over 6–12 weeks — and laying stops almost completely while the body prioritises feather production. Combined with short winter days, most flocks give you a couple of low-output months each year. That’s healthy, and forcing through it isn’t worth the cost to the bird.
Frequently asked questions
When do chickens start laying eggs?
Most hens lay their first egg at 18–22 weeks of age. Hybrid layers can start as early as 16 weeks, and large heritage breeds may take 6–8 months.
What age do chickens lay eggs by breed?
ISA Browns and Golden Comets start at 16–18 weeks, Rhode Island Reds and Australorps at 18–22 weeks, Orpingtons and Marans at 24–28 weeks, and Brahmas and Jersey Giants at 28–36 weeks.
What are the signs a chicken is about to lay?
A reddening, enlarging comb and wattles, squatting when approached, investigating the nesting boxes, increased appetite for calcium, and a wider gap between the pelvic bones.
Why is my chicken’s first egg so small?
First eggs, called pullet eggs, are naturally small while the reproductive system calibrates. Egg size increases over the first month or two of laying.
Why did my chicken lay a soft-shelled egg?
Soft or shell-less eggs are common in the first weeks of laying. If they continue beyond the first month, the usual cause is insufficient calcium — offer crushed oyster shell free-choice.
Do chickens need a rooster to lay eggs?
No. Hens lay eggs regardless. A rooster is only required to fertilise eggs for hatching chicks.
When should I switch to layer feed?
At 18 weeks or when the first egg arrives, whichever comes first. Starting layer feed earlier can harm the kidneys of birds that are not yet laying, because of its high calcium content.
Will chickens lay eggs in winter?
Laying slows or stops in winter because hens need around 14 hours of daylight to lay consistently. A pullet reaching maturity in autumn may not start until the days lengthen in spring.
Next steps: pick fast-maturing birds from the best egg-laying chickens, set up the nest correctly with nesting boxes explained, and get feeding right with what chickens eat.
Related reading: once she has started, why chickens stop laying eggs explains the nine reasons production halts, and how long chickens live covers how many laying years to expect. Raising your own pullets? See raising baby chicks.
Related reading: hens take 8-12 weeks off each autumn for molting. You do not need a male bird for any of it, as explained in do chickens need a rooster, and shell colour is set at hatch, see chicken egg colors.