Guinea hens lay 30 - 180 depending on climate, food availability and predation in the wild. Domestic hens are not “bred” into daily laying, their instinctive nature to fill the nest drives them. Appropriate feed, housing and hydration allows that. That, in no way, excuses industrial egg production. However, small numbers raised as pets for egg production are treated very well and mourned at their passing. Is that acceptable?
Domestic hens were still bred into significantly higher egg output capacities.
If you want to tangent off specifically into niche birds, sure a guinea hen has a high natural egg laying capacity, as you stated, if you manipulate it’s environment. Typically in the wild, however, it would lay ~10-20 per year. Your more typical bred domestic chicken that this conversation is actually about has more than twice the capacity of the guinea hen’s natural limit. Let’s keep on topic here though, yeah?
Guinea hens lay 30 - 180 depending on climate, food availability and predation in the wild. Domestic hens are not “bred” into daily laying, their instinctive nature to fill the nest drives them. Appropriate feed, housing and hydration allows that. That, in no way, excuses industrial egg production. However, small numbers raised as pets for egg production are treated very well and mourned at their passing. Is that acceptable?
Domestic hens were still bred into significantly higher egg output capacities.
If you want to tangent off specifically into niche birds, sure a guinea hen has a high natural egg laying capacity, as you stated, if you manipulate it’s environment. Typically in the wild, however, it would lay ~10-20 per year. Your more typical bred domestic chicken that this conversation is actually about has more than twice the capacity of the guinea hen’s natural limit. Let’s keep on topic here though, yeah?