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How many eggs can some hens produce in a year?

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A peacock stands with its vibrant green and blue tail feathers fully fanned out in display, showing eye-like patterns across the plumage. — Galliform Blue, or Indian, peacock (*Pavo cristatus*) displaying its resplendent feathers.

Some hens are capable of producing as many as 300 eggs per year.1

This high level of productivity is possible because the domestic hen is an indeterminate layer, meaning it will continue to produce eggs if they are removed from the nest rather than stopping after laying a single clutch. In contrast, if the hen were a determinate layer, it would stop laying after producing a clutch of about a dozen eggs.2

The biological process involves an ovulation cycle that takes approximately 23–26 hours, with subsequent ovulations potentially occurring within an hour after the previous egg is laid. While natural egg laying is stimulated by long stretches of daylight, commercial and domestic producers can trigger this response throughout the year by using artificial lighting in chicken coops.1