How Many Eggs Does a Wyandotte Lay Per Year?
A Wyandotte hen lays 180 to 240 eggs per year, about 4 to 5 a week at peak. See ranges by line and age, a month-by-month table, and a flock formula.
A Wyandotte hen lays 180 to 240 eggs per year in a typical backyard setting. The biggest variable is broodiness: many Wyandottes pause laying for several weeks to sit on a clutch, and heritage or show lines lay fewer eggs than hatchery lines. For a healthy first-year hen in a well-managed flock, the most realistic estimate is 200 to 220 eggs annually.
Want the full picture on this breed? See our Wyandotte (Silver Laced) 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 | ~160 | ~3.1 | ~0.44 | Heritage or show line, frequent broody spells, older bird, or winter without light |
| Normal | ~200 | ~3.8 | ~0.55 | Hatchery-line hen, Year 1 to 2, natural daylight, standard layer feed |
| High | ~240 | ~4.6 | ~0.66 | Productive hatchery line, Year 1, little broodiness, 16-hr lighting, 16 to 18% protein |
The Normal row is the most realistic starting point for planning. It assumes a healthy hatchery-line hen in her first or second year, eating proper layer feed, with a normal molt and a short broody break or two across the year.
Broodiness is what separates a Low year from a High year for this breed. A Wyandotte that goes broody can sit for three to six weeks at a stretch and lays nothing while she does. A hen that rarely broods, in a productive line, can push toward the top of the range.
By year, month, week, and day
| Time period | Low (~160/yr) | Normal (~200/yr) | High (~240/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 160 | 200 | 240 |
| Per month (average) | ~13 | ~17 | ~20 |
| Per week (average) | ~3.1 | ~3.8 | ~4.6 |
| Per day (average) | ~0.44 | ~0.55 | ~0.66 |
| Dozens per year | ~13 | ~17 | ~20 |
A hen lays one egg roughly every 24 to 26 hours when she is in full production, and she skips a day now and then while her body builds the next egg. That is why the daily average never reaches 1.0, even for the top performers. At her spring peak a Wyandotte may give you an egg almost every day, but the yearly average is always lower because winter, molt, and any broody time pull it down.
The formula
Scale to any flock size:
Weekly eggs = Number of hens × 5 × Age Factor × Season Factor
The number 5 is the Wyandotte’s peak laying rate, about 5 eggs per hen per week in spring and early summer during her first couple of years.
| 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 × 5 × 0.84 (Year 2) × 0.75 (winter, no light) = ~19 eggs per week.
For a single broody hen, drop her to zero for the weeks she is sitting, then add her back once she returns to lay. Use the egg production calculator to model your specific flock by age and season without doing the math by hand.
How production drops year over year
| Year | Per hen / year | Per hen / week | 6-bird flock / year | 6-bird flock / week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (peak) | ~200 | ~3.8 | ~1,200 | ~23 |
| Year 2 | ~168 | ~3.2 | ~1,010 | ~19 |
| Year 3 | ~132 | ~2.5 | ~790 | ~15 |
| Year 4 | ~100 | ~1.9 | ~600 | ~12 |
| Year 5 | ~76 | ~1.5 | ~460 | ~9 |
Production slides down gradually rather than stopping at a set age. A Wyandotte often keeps laying into her later years, just slower and with longer winter pauses, and many live 6 to 12 years. If you want a steady supply, add two or three young pullets every other year so the flock average stays high while your older hens taper off.
Month by month (first-year hen)
| Month | Natural light only | With 16-hr coop lighting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13 | 19 | Shortest days, but the rose comb holds up to frost |
| February | 15 | 20 | Daylight starting to return |
| March | 18 | 21 | Climbing toward spring peak |
| April | 21 | 22 | Peak season begins |
| May | 22 | 22 | Top of the range |
| June | 20 | 20 | Early heat starts to bite a heavy breed |
| July | 18 | 18 | Heat slows laying regardless of light |
| August | 18 | 19 | Still warm, dense feathering retains heat |
| September | 18 | 20 | Cooling off, good month before molt |
| October | 16 | 20 | Watch for molt and the first short days |
| November | 14 | 19 | Winter slowdown, better than most breeds |
| December | 12 | 19 | Minimum without lighting |
Wyandottes hold winter laying better than most single-combed breeds, so their cold-month numbers do not collapse the way many heritage birds do. If you choose to use supplemental light, start it in early September before the days shorten, add light in the morning to reach about 14 to 16 hours total, and keep it gentle. Many keepers skip lighting on purpose and let the hens rest through winter, which is also fine for the bird.
What changes the number
The four things that move a Wyandotte’s yearly total the most are broodiness, the bird’s line, daylight, and summer heat. Here is how each one works.
Broodiness
Broodiness is the single biggest factor for this breed. Many Wyandottes go broody, especially in spring and early summer, and a broody hen lays nothing for the three to six weeks she sits on a clutch of 8 to 12 eggs. A hen that broods twice in a season can lose 30 to 50 eggs from her annual total. Broodiness varies a lot by line and by individual, so two hens in the same coop can post very different yearly numbers. The upside is that broody Wyandottes are calm, attentive mothers if you want chicks.
Strain or line
Hatchery Wyandottes out-lay show and heritage lines. Birds bred for tight lacing and exhibition body type were selected for looks, not output, and often sit at the bottom of the range, closer to 150 to 180 eggs. Hatchery layers selected for production land in the 200 to 240 band. If steady eggs are your goal, ask your hatchery for their laying line rather than a show strain.
Daylight and winter laying
A hen needs about 14 to 16 hours of light per day to lay at full rate, and natural daylight falls below that through winter in most regions. Wyandottes handle this better than many breeds. Their flat rose comb and small wattles expose far less tissue to frost than a tall single comb, so they keep eating, moving, and laying when single-combed hens slow down or stop. You can add coop lighting to hold winter output, or let them rest. Either choice is reasonable.
Heat stress
Summer can hurt a Wyandotte more than winter. Her heavy body and dense, downy feathering trap heat, and laying slows once coop temperatures climb past about 85 to 90°F. Give shade, steady airflow, and cool fresh water through the hottest months, and expect a dip in July and August even with good management. For an unexplained sharp drop in laying, a sick or injured bird, or signs of heat distress that do not ease with shade and water, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian or your local extension service.
Annual molt
Wyandottes molt once a year, usually for 8 to 12 weeks, and most hold off their first real molt until around 18 months old. Laying slows or stops during the molt while the hen grows new feathers, which are about 85% protein. Bump feed to 18 to 20% protein during this window to help her regrow feathers faster and get back to laying sooner.
Feed protein
Keep layer feed at 16 to 18% protein with free-choice oyster shell for calcium. Wyandottes have hearty appetites and convert feed well, but they also gain weight easily in confinement, and an overweight hen lays less. Measure rations, allow forage or run time, and avoid loading them up on scratch and treats.
How Wyandottes compare
First-year production, normal backyard conditions.
| Breed | Annual eggs | Egg color | Type | Vs Wyandotte |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandotte | 180 to 240 | Light brown | Heritage | Baseline |
| ISA Brown | 300 to 320 | Brown | Hybrid | Higher |
| Rhode Island Red | 250 to 300 | Brown | Heritage | Higher |
| Plymouth Rock | 200 to 280 | Brown | Heritage | Similar to higher |
| Buff Orpington | 180 to 220 | Light brown | Heritage | Similar |
The honest verdict: a Wyandotte is not the breed to pick if raw egg count is all you care about. An ISA Brown or a Rhode Island Red will simply give you more. Where the Wyandotte wins is the cold. If you live somewhere with hard winters and want a hen that keeps laying through the short, freezing months while staying calm, hardy, and good-looking, she is one of the best choices on the list. Skip her if you are in a hot climate and chasing maximum output, since heat and broodiness will both work against you.
Use the breed selector quiz to compare breeds against your goals and setup.
Frequently asked questions
How many eggs does a Wyandotte lay per year?
A Wyandotte hen lays about 180 to 240 eggs per year, with a realistic planning figure near 200 for a healthy hatchery-line hen. Heritage and show strains lay less, often 150 to 180, while productive lines and minimal broodiness push toward 240.
How many eggs does a Wyandotte lay per week?
A Wyandotte lays about 4 to 5 eggs per week at her spring and summer peak in her first couple of years. Across a full year, once molt, winter, and any broody breaks are counted, the average works out to roughly 3 to 4 eggs per week.
When do Wyandottes start laying?
Most Wyandottes lay their first egg between 18 and 22 weeks of age, which is around 4 to 6 months. They tend to mature a little later than lightweight production breeds because they are a heavier dual-purpose bird.
Do Wyandottes lay in winter?
Yes, Wyandottes are among the better winter layers. Their rose comb resists frostbite and their dense feathering keeps them comfortable in the cold, so they often keep laying when single-combed breeds slow down. Output still drops in winter without supplemental light, just less sharply than with most breeds.
How many eggs will 6 Wyandotte hens lay per year?
Six first-year Wyandotte hens lay roughly 1,000 to 1,400 eggs per year under normal backyard conditions, or about 1,200 at the planning average. That number falls as the flock ages and rises with good feed and few broody spells. Use the egg production calculator to set it to your exact flock size, ages, and season.
How long do Wyandottes keep laying?
Wyandottes lay best in their first two to three years, then production declines gradually each year rather than stopping at a set age. Many hens still lay a useful number of eggs at four or five years old, just slower and with longer winter pauses, and the breed often lives 6 to 12 years.
Why did my Wyandotte stop laying?
The most common reasons are molt, short winter days, broodiness, or a heat wave, all of which are normal and temporary. If the pause comes with a sick, lethargic, or injured bird, or it does not resolve when the season changes, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian or your local extension service.
Sources: Tractor Supply (tractorsupply.com), Manna Pro (mannapro.com), Thrifty Homesteader (thriftyhomesteader.com), A-Z Animals (a-z-animals.com), Mile Four (milefour.com). For health concerns about your flock, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian. Last reviewed June 2026.