What breeds are the earliest layers?

[newchickenista]

I am about to add some new chicks to my flock. I am wanting to add, at least a few, that would be early layers. I was wondering what people considered the breeds that come in to laying the earliest?

 

[Michael OShay]

Very few pullets will begin laying before 20 weeks but in my personal experience the earliest layers have been White Leghorns and Black and Red Sex Links, a few of which have started laying as early as 18 weeks. Incidentally, these three egg laying machines also happen to be the best layers in the chicken world consistently churning out more than 300 large eggs per hen per year.

 

[littlelune810]

Very few pullets will begin laying before 20 weeks but in my personal experience the earliest layers have been White Leghorns and Black and Red Sex Links, a few of which have started laying as early as 18 weeks. Incidentally, these three egg laying machines also happen to be the best layers in the chicken world consistently churning out more than 300 large eggs per hen per year.

Do these types of birds stop laying before other birds, generally speaking?

 

[dekel18042]

I am about to add some new chicks to my flock. I am wanting to add, at least a few, that would be early layers. I was wondering what people considered the breeds that come in to laying the earliest?

Often the production breeds start early. I've had some of my mixes start in the 4 to 4.5 month range. But breed nonwithdstanding, I have found pullets that were hatched in the late winter (Mid January through March) or early spring start laying weeks if not months earlier than pullets hatched in late summer or fall.
I have some that were all laying before 5 months, hatched in February, were all laying by June's end while the same breed hatched in August still aren't laying yet.

 

[Michael OShay]

Do these types of birds stop laying before other birds, generally speaking?

Usually, as pullets that start laying early and churn out huge numbers of eggs in a short time usually have a shorter laying life. Although there are always exceptions. Some of my Black Sex Links gave 4-5 years of good laying and the oldest hen to ever lay eggs is a Black Sex Link (marketed in the UK as Black Rocks) that laid 2 eggs at 17 years old. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ritain-squeezes-eggs-THIRTEEN-years-last.html Generally speaking the longest laying breeds I've had have been Black Australorps and Buff Orpingtons. In addition to laying for a number of years, Australorps are excellent layers sometimes exceeding 300 brown eggs in a year.