How Many Eggs Does a Silkie Lay Per Year?
A Silkie hen lays 100 to 120 eggs per year. Realistic estimates by broodiness and age, a month-by-month breakdown, and a formula for any flock size.
A Silkie hen lays 100 to 120 eggs per year, which puts her among the lowest-producing chicken breeds. The biggest variable is broodiness: a Silkie that goes broody three or four times a year can drop well below 100, while a hen whose broody spells are managed can reach 130 to 150 eggs annually.
Want the full picture on this breed? See our Silkie 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 | ~80 | ~1.5 | ~0.22 | Frequent broody spells, older hen, several broods a year |
| Normal | ~110 | ~2.1 | ~0.30 | Typical hen, Year 1 to 2, a couple of broody breaks, layer feed |
| High | ~150 | ~2.9 | ~0.41 | Broodiness managed, Year 1, natural daylight, good condition |
The Normal row is the most realistic starting point for planning. It assumes a healthy first or second year hen on layer feed who goes broody once or twice over the year. Silkies are kept for company and brooding more than for eggs, so plan around two to three eggs a week, not a daily egg.
Broodiness sets the ceiling. A Silkie lays nothing while she is sitting on a nest, and a broody spell runs four to six weeks. A hen who broods four or five times a year can give you barely half the eggs of a sister who is discouraged from sitting.
By year, month, week, and day
| Time period | Low (~80/yr) | Normal (~110/yr) | High (~150/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 80 | 110 | 150 |
| Per month (average) | ~6.7 | ~9.2 | ~12.5 |
| Per week (average) | ~1.5 | ~2.1 | ~2.9 |
| Per day (average) | ~0.22 | ~0.30 | ~0.41 |
| Dozens per year | ~6.7 | ~9.2 | ~12.5 |
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 Silkie the daily figure is especially low, because she pauses laying entirely during each broody spell. Counting on one egg every two to three days from each Silkie across the whole year is a realistic planning rule.
The formula
Scale to any flock size:
Weekly eggs = Number of hens × 3 × Age Factor × Season Factor
The baseline of 3 is a Silkie’s peak weekly output while she is actively laying. 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 × 3 × 0.84 (Year 2) × 0.75 (winter, no light) = 11 eggs per week.
One caution for Silkies: this formula gives the rate while hens are laying. Whenever a hen goes broody she contributes zero, so a real Silkie flock often lands below the formula figure for weeks at a time. Use the egg production calculator to model your flock by age and season, then subtract for the broody spells you expect.
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 ~110 eggs.
| Year | Per hen / year | Per hen / week | 6-bird flock / year | 6-bird flock / week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (peak) | ~110 | ~2.1 | ~660 | ~13 |
| Year 2 | ~92 | ~1.8 | ~554 | ~11 |
| Year 3 | ~73 | ~1.4 | ~436 | ~8 |
| Year 4 | ~55 | ~1.1 | ~330 | ~6 |
| Year 5 | ~42 | ~0.8 | ~251 | ~5 |
Silkie output tends to hold for the first two to three years, then taper. By about five years old a hen lays roughly half of what she did at her peak, and an old Silkie may give just the occasional egg by age eight. They are long-lived pets, so many keepers add a young pullet or two every other year to keep eggs coming while the older hens settle into retirement.
Month by month (first-year hen)
Silkies hold their laying more steadily across the seasons than most breeds, so the winter dip is shallower than you would see from a production hen. The bigger swings come from broody spells, which cluster in spring and summer, rather than from short winter days.
| Month | Natural light only | With 16-hr coop lighting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9 | 10 | Holds up better than most breeds in winter |
| February | 9 | 10 | Steady |
| March | 10 | 10 | Days lengthening |
| April | 9 | 9 | Broody spells often begin |
| May | 8 | 8 | Peak broody season |
| June | 8 | 8 | Broody season continues |
| July | 9 | 9 | Recovers between broods |
| August | 9 | 10 | Steady |
| September | 10 | 10 | Strong fall laying |
| October | 10 | 10 | Reliable |
| November | 10 | 10 | Holds through cooling weather |
| December | 9 | 10 | Shortest days, minimum without lighting |
Supplemental light helps less for Silkies than for most breeds, because their limiting factor is broodiness rather than daylight. If you do add light, start in early September before the days shorten and aim for 14 to 16 total hours. Managing broody spells will move your annual total far more than lighting will.
What changes the number
The single biggest lever on a Silkie’s annual total is how often she goes broody, followed by her age, her diet, and her overall health.
Broodiness
Silkies are the broodiest common breed, and broodiness is what keeps their egg numbers low. A hen often sits two to five times a year, and each broody spell stops her laying for four to six weeks. Frequent egg collection and a cool, open broody-breaker pen discourage sitting. Many keepers accept the broodiness instead and use Silkies to hatch eggs from other breeds, since they are devoted, reliable mothers.
Slow maturity
Silkies start laying late. Most hens lay their first egg between 28 and 40 weeks of age, roughly 7 to 9 months, and some hold off until they are nearly a year old. They mature more slowly than most breeds, so do not worry if a young Silkie is behind her flockmates.
Egg size and what to expect
Silkie eggs are small and cream to white, sometimes lightly tinted. A dozen weighs only about 18 to 21 ounces, well under a standard large egg, but bantam eggs carry a proportionally larger, deep-yellow yolk. Two Silkie eggs roughly stand in for one large supermarket egg in most recipes.
Daylight and winter laying
Silkies keep laying through winter more reliably than many breeds, so they do not need lighting to stay productive in the cold. Hens still lay at their best with 14 to 16 hours of light, but adding it gains you less than it would with a Leghorn, because a broody Silkie will pause regardless of the light schedule.
Feed and condition
Keep layer feed at 16 to 18% protein with added calcium, and offer free-choice oyster shell. Silkies are small and eat less than standard hens, so feed cost is modest, but their fluffy plumage hides body condition. Pick a hen up now and then to check she is not thin under all that fluff.
Health: mites, damp, and Marek’s
Silkies are more prone to a few specific problems that can stop laying. Their soft, barbicel-free feathers trap moisture and give mites and lice good cover, and the breed is notably susceptible to Marek’s disease, so buy from a hatchery that vaccinates chicks at hatch. Keep their housing dry, since wet fluff chills them fast. If a hen stops laying with no obvious broody or seasonal cause, or shows lameness, weakness, or weight loss, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian or your local extension service.
How Silkies compare
First-year production under normal backyard conditions.
| Breed | Annual eggs | Egg color | Type | Vs Silkie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silkie | 100 to 120 | Cream to white, small | Ornamental | Baseline |
| Buff Orpington | 180 to 220 | Light brown | Heritage | Higher |
| Brahma | 150 to 200 | Brown | Dual-purpose | Higher |
| Easter Egger | 200 to 280 | Blue, green, or varied | Dual-purpose | Higher |
| Rhode Island Red | 250 to 300 | Brown | Heritage | Higher |
The honest verdict: if eggs are your goal, the Silkie is the wrong bird, and almost any other breed will out-lay her two to one or better. What a Silkie offers instead is unmatched temperament and brooding. She is gentle enough for small children, quiet enough for close neighbors, and the most dependable natural incubator in the chicken world, happy to hatch and raise chicks, ducklings, and clutches other hens abandon. For a family flock kept for pets and hatching, with eggs as a small bonus, the Silkie is hard to beat. For an egg basket, look elsewhere.
Use the breed selector quiz to compare breeds against your goals and setup.
Frequently asked questions
How many eggs does a Silkie lay per year?
A Silkie hen lays about 100 to 120 eggs per year, among the lowest of any common breed. A hen whose broody spells are managed can reach 130 to 150, while one that broods often may stay below 100.
How many eggs does a Silkie lay per week?
A laying Silkie produces about 2 to 3 small eggs per week. That rate drops to zero during each broody spell, which is why her yearly total comes out so modest.
When do Silkies start laying eggs?
Silkies usually lay their first egg between 28 and 40 weeks of age, about 7 to 9 months, and some wait until nearly a year old. They are slow to mature compared with most breeds.
Why do Silkies stop laying so often?
The usual reason is broodiness, not a health problem. Silkies go broody two to five times a year and lay nothing for the four to six weeks they spend sitting, then resume once the spell ends.
How many eggs will 6 Silkie hens lay per year?
Six Silkie hens lay roughly 480 to 900 eggs in their first year, depending heavily on how often they go broody. Run your own numbers with the egg production calculator, which adjusts for flock age and season.
Do Silkies lay eggs in winter?
Yes, Silkies often lay through winter more reliably than many breeds, so they do not need supplemental light to stay productive in the cold. Their fluffy plumage helps, as long as their housing stays dry.
What color and size are Silkie eggs?
Silkie eggs are small and cream to white, sometimes faintly tinted, weighing only about 18 to 21 ounces per dozen. The yolks are large for the egg size, so two Silkie eggs roughly replace one standard large egg in recipes.
Sources: Tractor Supply Co. (tractorsupply.com), My Pet Chicken (mypetchicken.com), BackYard Chickens (backyardchickens.com), Cluckin.net (cluckin.net). For health concerns about your flock, consult a licensed poultry veterinarian. Last reviewed June 2026.