Do you love big, chubby, fluffy chickens?
If you do it wouldn’t take a genius to guess that you must love Orpingtons.
But, just like with all chicken breeds, good looks, beautiful temperaments, and hilarious personalities only go so far – we want eggs too!
If you’re wanting to know what to expect from your Orpington’s egg-laying habits, or are thinking about raising Orpingtons, you’re in the right place.
Here’s everything you need to know about an Orpington chicken’s egg laying, from their egg characteristics to their egg laying life cycle, and just how many eggs you can expect to get from these great beauties.
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Orpington Chicken Egg Laying Summary
Wanting the short and sweet answer to what these Orpington hens are capable of?
Being a dual-purpose breed, being amazing for meat, eggs, and companionship, you can sometimes expect a bit of a shortfall in their egg production, compared to the new-age hybrid and commercial layers out there.
But, Orpingtons still pay their rent in lovely delicious eggs. Here’s a quick summary of their egg-laying:
- Egg Laying Frequency: 4 – 5 Per Week
- Egg Size: Large
- Egg Color: Brown/Light brown
When Do Orpington Chickens Start Laying?
It’s quite well accepted that Orpingtons take a little longer to mature. Fair enough too, as they grow a little “rounder” than the average chook.
Still, they won’t have you waiting forever for their eggs!
Orpington hens will start laying from as young as about 5 – 6 months on average, but it can vary depending on the individual chicken as well as their conditions.
Tip: Once one of your Orpingtons starts laying, you can make the switch from grower feed to layer feed for your entire flock – this extra protein might just help the others start laying too!
How Many Eggs Do Orpington Chickens Lay Per Year?
Get your egg baskets, ’cause when you’re raising Orpingtons you’re going to need ‘em!
Considering Orpingtons are technically a dual-purpose breed (being useful for both meat and egg farming), they lay a considerable amount of eggs.
On average you can expect every Orpington hen to produce around 200 to 250 eggs per year, pretty reliably I might add.
Although this works out to be about 4 – 5 eggs per week, it’s more likely that your Orpingtons will lay pretty continuously day after day, before having a short hiatus (and sometimes get broody).
When Do Orpington Chickens Stop Laying Eggs?
Generally speaking, Heritage breeds like Orpington have a much longer egg-laying life span than hybrid commercial laying breeds (like ISA Brown).
This is predominantly because their reproductive systems are not overworked, therefore helping them lay healthily for longer.
You can expect your Orpington hens to reach their peak egg production within the first 1-2 years of their egg laying, especially during the warmer months of the year.
What you’ll find is that from about 3 years old, Opringtons will lay noticeably fewer eggs, but still about 150-200 eggs per year.
This decline in egg production continues as they age, but I’ve had Orpingtons remaining healthy and laying for 5+ years.
Do Orpingtons Lay All Year Round
Orpington chickens are big fluff balls, so it’s almost no surprise that they’re cold-hardy. They don’t mind the cold and it doesn’t seem to bother them as much as some of the smaller chicken breeds.
Because of this, Orpington’s egg production remains relatively consistent all year round.
However, you can still expect them to lay fewer eggs in winter than in summer, but this is predominately controlled by the amount of daylight in each 24-hour period.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just getting into chicken farming or you’re a veteran crazy chicken lady, there’s always a time and place for more chickens.
If you haven’t had a go at raising Orpingtons, you’re missing out.
These adorable, loveable, gentle giants make for wonderful backyard companions that aren’t averse to providing you with fresh, delicious eggs.
You can expect between 200 – 250 large-sized eggs per hen, per year, more than enough to keep the whole family fed for breakfast!
If you love Orpington’s you have to check out these beautiful Jubilee Orpingtons!