One of the main goals of chicken breeders is to improve laying performance and therefore, reliable predictors are required. In this study, the effect of 1-day-old chicks body weight (BW) on the laying performance, behavior and egg quality traits of laying Hyline-white hens was examined from 20-40 weeks. A total of 180 chicks were separated into three categories based on their 1-day-old BW (light, L; medium, M; and heavy, H), with six replications per group, each of which consisted of 10 chicks. It was found that the H group birds had the highest BW across all experimental periods and the highest feed consumption, but they also had the best overall feed efficiency. At 30 and 40 weeks of age, the H group hens produced significantly fewer eggs than the M or L group hens. In addition, there were a significantly higher percentage of birds engaging in eating, drinking, walking, standing, sitting, foraging and dust bathing behaviors and a significantly lower percentage engaging in perching and preening behaviors in the H group. Abnormal behaviors, such as feather pecking and aggression, were recorded more frequently in both the M and H group birds. There was no significant difference in any of the external and internal egg quality measurements, with the exception of egg weight and albumen weight, which were significantly higher in the H group. Therefore, it can be concluded that H group laying hens had the best body weight, feed intake and efficiency and egg quality and production. Therefore 1-day-old BW can be used as a reliable predicator of performance, behavior and production traits in laying hens.