Rhode Island Reds are by far one of my favorite chicken breeds to own. There have been times when I have not had them as a part of my flock, and when that happens, I miss them dearly and try to add them back as soon as I can.
If you’re thinking about raising Rhode Island Reds, whether you’re a beginner or expert level chicken owner, I can’t recommend them enough.
One of the most common questions people have about Rhode Islands though is about egg production. Most people want to know how many eggs they can lay. Well here is a breakdown as to what you can expect on a weekly basis, and how many eggs a Rhode Island Red hen can lay per week.
Related: Rhode Island Red Chicken Breed Profile and Guide
How Many Eggs Do Rhode Island Reds Lay a Week?
At the peak of their egg laying years, Rhode Island Red chickens can lay up to 5 to 6 eggs every week.
Rhode Island Reds are one of our country’s oldest breeds of chickens and one of the most popular egg laying breeds for a reason; They lay a lot of eggs. 5 to 6 eggs per week translates to 300 eggs per year! In addition to being excellent egg layers, Rhode Island Red chickens are also known for their quality meat, making them an excellent dual purpose breed.
They’re gentle and kind chickens who can easily win your heart and become one of your treasured pets.
Rhode Island Reds are an extremely hardy breed. They thrive in any climate and pose few health risks. They have a good feed-to-egg ratio and lay beautiful, large brown eggs. This means that you don’t have to spend a fortune on feed to get good eggs.
Related: Where Did Rhode Island Red Chickens Originate?
How Many Eggs Will a Rhode Island Red Hen Lay In a Lifetime?
There are many factors that go into determining how many eggs a Rhode Island Red will lay in its lifetime, the biggest ones being what kind of feed it’s given and the environment it lives in.
However, with that said, on average a Rhode Island Red chicken can lay about 1350 eggs in its lifetime.
It should also be noted that laying hens are most productive during their first three years of life. After three years, the number of eggs laid by a chicken begins to decline.
As a result, estimating how many eggs a chicken will lay in its lifetime is nearly impossible. We can, however, try to break it down by averages and percentages. Let us give it a shot.
Related: Can Chickens Lay More Than One Egg a Day?
As an example, suppose we have a Rhode Island Red with a lifespan of ten years. That’s a little longer than normal in my experience, but they can definitely live that long, so let’s go with it.
Let us also assume that our Rhode Island Red lays 5 eggs per week on average.
Next, we’ll look at how much our hen’s egg production will drop each year. We have the following percentage of first year laying for each additional year based on a University of Florida research study.
Year 1: 100%
Year 2: 85%
Year 3: 68%
Year 4: 60%
Year 5: 50%
Year 6: 45%
Year 7: 35%
Year 8: 30%
Year 9: 25%
Year 10: 20%
Based off of these assumptions and estimations, we can assume that a Rhode Island Red chicken can lay 1350 eggs over it’s lifetime, which equates to almost 113 dozen eggs!
How To Help Your Rhode Island Red Lay More Eggs?
If your egg production has slowed down or stopped, there may be a simple reason. The following are just a few of the most important things a Rhode Island Red needs to produce eggs:
- Nutrition
- Sunlight
- Brooding
- Disruptions to the Flock
- Molting
- Old Age
Read More: Chicken Stop Laying? How To Get Chickens to Lay Eggs Again
Tips For Getting Your Rhode Island Red To Produce More Eggs
- Make sure your flock is getting the right nutrition for laying eggs. Supplement with snacks high in protein like mealworms, sunflower seeds, oats, and provide a free-feed source of calcium like oyster shells or crushed eggshells.
- Always provide a clean and steady supply of fresh water.
- Make sure your nesting boxes are roomy and well padded.
- Check your flock routinely for parasites.
- Place a light on a timer in your coop to provide enough light for laying.
- If your hens are not free-range, make a roomy run to ensure your chickens are not overcrowded and stressed.
- Provide toys or fistfuls of fresh greens to keep your hens active and happy.
Rhode Island Red Facts
| Origin | Developed by crossing the Java and Brown Leghorn chicken breeds. |
| Temperament | Docile and Active |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Egg Size | Large |
| Egg Production | 200-300 eggs per year |
| Weight | Hen: 6 1/2 lbs Rooster: 8 1/2 lbs Pullet: 5 1/2 lbs Cockerel: 7 1/2 lbs |
| Broody | Variable |
| Primary Purpose | Egg production and pet |
| Secondary Purpose | Meat production |
| Lifespan | 8 years on average |
| Varieties | Single Comb, Rose Comb |
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