So it takes 6 months from to get new eggs? And what is life of hen to produce egg , when does it stop giving eggs

Yes, exactly. It takes roughly 5 to 6 months from the moment an egg goes into an incubator to the moment that resulting chick grows up and lays its first egg.

This 6-month biological lag is the exact reason why egg prices stay so high for so long after a disease outbreak like Avian Influenza. A farm cannot simply turn a dial to increase production; if they lose a flock, they are physically forced to wait half a year for a replacement flock to mature.

As for the lifespan and egg-producing years of a hen, there is a stark difference between a commercial farm and a natural backyard setting.

The Peak Laying Period

Regardless of where she lives, a hen's absolute peak production happens in her first year of laying (from roughly 6 months to 18 months of age). During this window, high-production breeds (like White Leghorns) will lay an egg almost every single day, totaling around 250 to 300 eggs a year.

Commercial Lifespan (The Industrial Model)

In commercial operations like Cal-Maine, a hen's laying lifespan is strictly dictated by the economics of feed costs versus egg output.

• The 18-to-24-Month Cutoff: Around 18 months of age, a hen's egg production naturally drops by about 20%, and the eggshells start to become thinner.
• Because she is eating the same amount of expensive feed but producing fewer eggs, she becomes unprofitable.
• Therefore, commercial hens are typically removed from the flock (culled) at around 1.5 to 2 years of age (roughly 72 to 80 weeks).

Natural Lifespan (Backyard Flocks)

If a hen is allowed to live out her natural life, she can live for 5 to 10 years, but her egg production follows a steady decline.

• The Annual Molt: At around 18 months of age, a hen will go through her first "molt." She drops her old feathers to grow a new winter coat. Growing feathers requires immense protein and energy, so her body completely stops producing eggs for 8 to 12 weeks.
• The Decline: After the molt, she will start laying again, but she will lay fewer eggs than her first year. This cycle repeats annually, with production dropping about 10% to 20% each year.

When Do They Stop Completely?

Hens are born with a finite number of ova (the yolks that become eggs). While they don't go through menopause in the human sense, their reproductive systems eventually wind down.

• By year 3 or 4, a hen will only lay eggs sporadically (maybe 1 or 2 a week, usually only in the spring and summer).
• By year 5 or 6, most hens stop laying eggs entirely and enter a permanent "retirement," spending the rest of their lives simply foraging and eating.