The first year, if you’ve selected the best quality available, you will get the highest rate of lay. When they are 14 - 18 months old, they molt and don’t lay during molt. Feathers are 90% protein and growing them takes all the resources. When they do resume laying, they won't lay over 60% of whatever you were originally getting. It gets expensive fast if you are feeding them grain.

Yes, as I said, it’s not cost effective on a homestead to keep 2 year old hens. But ground chicken can be used lots of ways. Trying to make a 2 year old free ranged hen tender enough to eat is a challenge.