how many eggs does a hen lay?

A commercial layer hen lays about 300 eggs a year, and there is nothing natural in this. We have been breeding them for maximum egg production, and we still are. In the US, the production increased from 120 in 1905, to 264 in 2000, and is now at 296 eggs per year. In nature, wild hens lay only a dozen eggs per year in spring, just enough eggs to ensure the survival of their species.

The unnatural number of eggs takes a tremendous toll on their bodies, and is responsible for numerous disorders in hens, including often fatal diseases of the reproductive systems.