We have five so far from my current hen, she layed one late day before yesterday and is starting to get eggy bum again so I guess atleast one more to go. Since they lay a predetermined number of eggs will she lay the same number next time she sits as well or does it vary from clutch to clutch? How many eggs do your birds normally lay?

It can vary from clutch to clutch. I allowed Skittles 2 clutches, the first she laid 7 eggs, the second 6. She started to lay for a 3rd but that was too much so was prevented.

It really does vary a lot. An average is around five eggs, but I have some in the breeding room with up to ten eggs.

Kaz do those with ten eggs successfully raise them or do you foster them on?

Kaz do those with ten eggs successfully raise them or do you foster them on?

By the time the last eggs are due to hatch they get poopy and can die in shell from that...so I share them around...eggs or chicks.

Around 5-6 is the average. I have had 9 is the most laid.

Edited April 30, 200817 yr by Ikon

I have one bird that only ever hatches 3, no matter how many she has laid. Must confuse the **** out of her when I add in a a fostered chick to her nest. might be why little gabrielle suffered so much growing up. Angel always like 3, Gabrielle was the 4th. Hmmmm

I think the “normal” is 6 when I had Budgies when I was young mostly you got 6, but these days 6 still is about the normal, but also 7 is common, then others regularly get 8 or 9 mostly 9 10 or even 11 is rarer. There is some variation, but I find that mostly birds are fairly regular; I have some pairs that regularly lay 7 or 8 & have from their first batch when they started. But some I have noticed begin to lay more as they age & even strangely, if you let them lay more than two batches later ones often get more eggs rather than less. I agree with Kaz, if you have large batches more than 6 if they all seem like they are going to hatch it’s better if possible to foster them about, as, as she says if large batches are left the eggs get spoiled that much they wont hatch. Depending what age your chicks are in other nests, I often wait till some of the larger chicks are rung, then remove them to a similar size batch; this removes the larger chicks stopping the spoiling of later eggs & also makes it easier to keep track of them once they are rung.. Of course if you have only batches of smaller chicks it’s better to remove the smaller ones.