What breeds are the best winter laying chickens?

[woodmort]

I may sound like a broken record on this but my sex links--Black and Red Stars never missed a day due to cold weather. EE's and BR's have been good for me but the BS and RS have been the best.

 

[BlackBart]

Chanteclers
I have a few Partridge but the original color is white. I have heard a few people are trying to breed for pure black.

 

[Mahonri]

Black Sex links. laying machines.

ETA: My FBCMarans are really good layers too.

 

[harleyjo]

How many of you are breeding your own replacements on the Sex Links or do you buy them whenever you need replacements?

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Sex links do not breed true. Generally they are purchased because someone wants to be sure their chicks are all pullets and then replaced with new purchases. Most sex link males are used for meaties or euthanized shortly after hatch. Buy sex links in straight run would kind of defeat the reason for having them in the first place.

 

[Moxiechick]

We took Moxie in to the vet today, for her annual check up, and somehow we got talking about chickens. Evidently, our vet has chickens too. When I told him what breeds we had, he mentioned that black Australorps are known as being good winter layers.

 

[harleyjo]

That is one thing I had learned in my short time in chickens. I had planned on getting a RIR male and then females of Barred Rocks for the BSL, and a Delaware female for the RSL. I just wondered how many others did it that way or buy them each time. I love my BSL. I am still planning my flock and trying to make sure I have good winter layers as part of my plan.


Quote:
Sex links do not breed true. Generally they are purchased because someone wants to be sure their chicks are all pullets and then replaced with new purchases. Most sex link males are used for meaties or euthanized shortly after hatch. Buy sex links in straight run would kind of defeat the reason for having them in the first place.

 

[blondiebee181]

Do they have to have light in the winter in order to lay? Like during the night?

 

[RedDrgn]

I can only vouch for the australorp, dominique, and rock.

 

[Nicole01]

My EE's and RIR were the strongest all winter, but I keep a heater in my coop all winter and cover the run in plastic. It stayed pretty warm in there all year round.