How Many Eggs Does a Welsummer Lay Per Year?
A Welsummer hen lays 160 to 200 terracotta eggs per year. Realistic estimates by line and age, a month-by-month breakdown, and a formula for any flock size.
A Welsummer hen lays 160 to 200 eggs per year, which is solid for a heritage breed, and they are famous for deep terracotta shells flecked with darker speckles. The biggest variable is the breeding line: production-leaning lines lay at the top of that band, while show and ornamental lines bred mainly for egg color and type often lay less. For a healthy first-year hen in a well-managed flock, the most realistic estimate is 180 to 200 eggs annually.
Want the full picture on this breed? See our Welsummer breed profile — temperament, care needs, and climate fit.
Use the egg production calculator to model your specific flock.
Production ranges
| Scenario | Annual eggs | Avg / week | Avg / day | When this happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | ~150 | ~2.9 | ~0.41 | Show or ornamental line, older hen, or deep winter without light |
| Normal | ~180 | ~3.5 | ~0.49 | Typical hen, Year 1 to 2, natural daylight, standard layer feed |
| High | ~220 | ~4.2 | ~0.60 | Production-leaning line, Year 1, 16-hr lighting, 16 to 18% protein |
The Normal row is the most realistic starting point for planning. It assumes a healthy first or second year hen on layer feed with natural daylight. Welsummers are good, steady layers for a heritage breed, so plan around four eggs a week in their prime.
The line shapes both color and count. Welsummers were never bred as commercial layers, so quality varies. Lines selected for utility lay toward the top of the band, while those bred mainly for the deepest terracotta color and show type often lay a bit less. If the speckled egg look is the goal, buy from a breeder who selects for it.
By year, month, week, and day
| Time period | Low (~150/yr) | Normal (~180/yr) | High (~220/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 150 | 180 | 220 |
| Per month (average) | ~12.5 | ~15 | ~18.3 |
| Per week (average) | ~2.9 | ~3.5 | ~4.2 |
| Per day (average) | ~0.41 | ~0.49 | ~0.60 |
| Dozens per year | ~12.5 | ~15 | ~18.3 |
A hen lays one egg every 24 to 26 hours at full production and skips days, so the daily average never reaches 1.0. For a Welsummer in her prime, plan on roughly four eggs a week, a little more in spring and a little less through the shortest days of winter.
The formula
Scale to any flock size:
Weekly eggs = Number of hens × 4 × Age Factor × Season Factor
The baseline of 4 is a Welsummer hen’s peak weekly output in her first year. Adjust it down with the factors below as the flock ages and the seasons change.
| Factor | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Year 1 (peak) | ×1.00 |
| Year 2 | ×0.84 |
| Year 3 | ×0.66 |
| Year 4 | ×0.50 |
| Year 5 | ×0.38 |
| Spring / Summer | ×1.00 |
| Fall (Sept to Oct) | ×0.90 |
| Winter, no supplemental light | ×0.75 |
| Winter, 16-hr light schedule | ×0.95 |
Example: 6 hens × 4 × 0.84 (Year 2) × 0.75 (winter, no light) = 15 eggs per week.
Use the egg production calculator to model your specific flock by age and season.
How production drops year over year
Production slides down gradually rather than stopping at a set age. The table applies the age factors to the Normal annual figure of ~180 eggs.
| Year | Per hen / year | Per hen / week | 6-bird flock / year | 6-bird flock / week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (peak) | ~180 | ~3.5 | ~1,080 | ~21 |
| Year 2 | ~151 | ~2.9 | ~907 | ~17 |
| Year 3 | ~119 | ~2.3 | ~713 | ~14 |
| Year 4 | ~90 | ~1.7 | ~540 | ~10 |
| Year 5 | ~68 | ~1.3 | ~410 | ~8 |
A Welsummer gives her strongest output in her first two years, then tapers, often dropping toward 100 eggs a year by about age five in many flocks. She keeps laying at lower numbers well past that, so adding a young pullet or two every other year keeps the flock average high as older hens slow down.
Month by month (first-year hen)
Welsummers lay reasonably well through the cooler months and slow mainly in the deepest part of winter, with their strongest stretch in spring. One detail unique to this breed: the terracotta color is richest right after a winter break, then lightens gradually as the lay cycle goes on, deepening again after the next rest.
| Month | Natural light only | With 16-hr coop lighting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12 | 16 | Shortest days; comb tips vulnerable to frost |
| February | 14 | 16 | Color richest after the winter break |
| March | 16 | 17 | Days lengthening |
| April | 18 | 18 | Spring peak |
| May | 18 | 18 | Strong laying |
| June | 17 | 17 | Holds well into summer |
| July | 16 | 16 | Color lightening through the cycle |
| August | 15 | 15 | Steady |
| September | 15 | 15 | Recovery as it cools |
| October | 14 | 16 | Reliable fall laying |
| November | 13 | 16 | Slowing with shorter days |
| December | 12 | 16 | Minimum without lighting |
If you choose to use supplemental light, start it in early September before the days shorten and aim for 14 to 16 total hours. Welsummers already carry their laying through most of the cold season, so lighting mainly fills in the deepest winter weeks.
What changes the number
The single biggest lever on a Welsummer’s annual total is the line she came from, followed by her age, the season, and her diet.
Breeding line
Welsummers were developed as a farm bird, not a commercial layer, so the line matters. Utility-selected lines lay toward the top of the 160 to 200 band, while lines bred mainly for the darkest terracotta color and show type tend to lay less. Modern Welsummers lay slightly better than their early-1900s ancestors, but a breeder who selects for production will still out-lay one who selects only for looks.
Egg color and shell pigment
The terracotta color is a coating applied late in the laying process, which is why a freshly laid egg can have some color wiped off with a damp cloth. The pigment is mostly protoporphyrin IX with a little zinc chelate, laid down in the shell gland. Color runs richest right after a laying break, then lightens as the cycle continues. The famous speckles are hen-specific: some birds freckle heavily and others barely at all, depending on how the pigment is deposited.
Age and the first two years
Welsummers do their best work early, often near 180 eggs in the first year and around 150 in the second, then ease off year by year. That early peak is normal, so judge a young hen on her first full laying year rather than expecting her to hold that pace for life.
Daylight, winter, and frostbite
Hens need 14 to 16 hours of light to lay at full rate, and natural daylight falls below that in winter. Welsummers lay through the cold better than many breeds but still dip in the darkest weeks. Their single comb is the weak point in hard freezes, so good dry ventilation and dispatch of damp bedding help prevent frostbite on the comb tips. If laying drops sharply with no winter, molt, or broody cause, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian or your local extension service.
Foraging and feed
Welsummers are superb foragers and recover part of their diet on good free range, but they still need a balanced layer ration at 16 to 18% protein with free-choice oyster shell for calcium. Strong shells matter here, since the heavy pigment coating sits on top of the shell rather than strengthening it.
Broodiness
Welsummers are low to moderate in broodiness and most prefer to keep laying, though some hens sit in spring. A broody spell pauses laying for roughly three to four weeks, and Welsummers are not the most reliable mothers, so many keepers break a broody hen rather than let her set.
How Welsummers compare
First-year production under normal backyard conditions.
| Breed | Annual eggs | Egg color | Type | Vs Welsummer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welsummer | 160 to 200 | Terracotta brown, speckled | Dual-purpose | Baseline |
| Marans | 150 to 200 | Dark chocolate brown | Dual-purpose | Similar |
| Plymouth Rock | 200 to 280 | Brown | Heritage | Higher |
| Rhode Island Red | 250 to 300 | Brown | Heritage | Higher |
| Easter Egger | 200 to 280 | Blue, green, or varied | Dual-purpose | Higher |
The honest verdict: a Welsummer is the pick when you want a strikingly beautiful egg basket and a calm, hardy bird that forages well and earns its keep. The terracotta speckled eggs are the draw, and few breeds match them. If you simply want the most eggs, a Rhode Island Red or a Plymouth Rock will out-lay a Welsummer by 50 to 100 eggs a year. Its closest match is the Marans, the other dark-egg heritage breed, with the Welsummer leaning warmer and more freckled and the Marans deeper chocolate. Pick the shell color you love and the line selected for it.
Use the breed selector quiz to compare breeds against your goals and setup.
Frequently asked questions
How many eggs does a Welsummer lay per year?
A Welsummer hen lays about 160 to 200 eggs per year, which is good for a heritage breed. Production-leaning lines reach the top of that range, while show and ornamental lines often lay less.
How many eggs does a Welsummer lay per week?
A laying Welsummer produces about 4 to 5 eggs per week at her peak. That settles to roughly four a week across the year once winter and molt are folded in.
When do Welsummers start laying eggs?
Welsummers usually lay their first egg between 20 and 26 weeks of age, about 5 to 6 months. A pullet that reaches that age in late fall may wait until the days lengthen in spring.
Why are Welsummer eggs so dark and speckled?
Welsummer eggs are dark because the hen coats the shell with heavy brown pigment late in the laying process, which is why fresh color can be wiped off with a damp cloth. The speckles come from how that pigment is deposited and vary from hen to hen, so no two eggs look quite alike.
How many eggs will 6 Welsummer hens lay per year?
Six Welsummer hens lay roughly 900 to 1,200 eggs in their first year, depending on line and management. Run your own numbers with the egg production calculator, which adjusts for flock age and season.
Do Welsummers lay eggs in winter?
Yes, Welsummers carry their laying through the cooler months better than many breeds, with a dip in the deepest winter weeks. Their eggs are also at their richest terracotta right after the winter break.
Do all Welsummers lay speckled eggs?
No, not every Welsummer lays heavily speckled eggs. Speckling depends on each hen’s pigment deposits, so some birds freckle boldly while others lay a near-solid terracotta shell.
Sources: My Pet Chicken (mypetchicken.com), Thrifty Homesteader (thriftyhomesteader.com), Longbourn Farm (longbournfarm.com), Mile Four (milefour.com). For health concerns about your flock, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian. Last reviewed June 2026.