Aspiring Chicken Farmer

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Pork Pie said:
Hi and welcome to BYC. I think that I’d be inclined to buy locally available commercial layers for the business and keep the heritage birds for your pleasure, but I wish you the best in your search :fl
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I dont know whether there is a significant difference between the number of eggs layed by both of these chickens.
 
mealphamale said:
I dont know whether there is a significant difference between the number of eggs layed by both of these chickens.
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The difference may only be one or two eggs per week, but if you have thousands of birds (or even hundreds) then that difference becomes significant. Hybrid layers are bred to produce eggs. No heritage breed are so prolific.
 
Bonjour :frowand welcome from France! Good luck in your search!
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Pork Pie said:
The difference may only be one or two eggs per week, but if you have thousands of birds (or even hundreds) then that difference becomes significant. Hybrid layers are bred to produce eggs. No heritage breed are so prolific.
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You mean no heritage bird produces eggs when compared to commercial birds?
 
mealphamale said:
You mean no heritage bird produces eggs when compared to commercial birds?
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I would very much doubt it. Commercial layers lay almost every day and end their productive life at less than 2 years - I’m happy to be corrected, but I do not think heritage breeds are bred with that goal in mind.
 
Edit to add: my heritage and hybrid blue egg layers haven’t started laying yet, so all I have is what I’ve been told/read of their laying habits.

From a small farming aspect, and with what I’ve experienced between the commercial layers the farm has and my heritages breeds/hybrids that aren’t commercial layers, there are some definite positives in the heritage breeds. I don’t know about RIR specifically but, though the heritage breeds don’t have the super high production, they may lay a bit longer (according to even the farmer I got the commercial layers from), and are more predator aware (my chickens at least). Some of the reproductive diseases (from what I’ve read) also have higher incidence rates in the commercial birds due to their extremely high output. Heritage birds will also breed true if you’re looking for a more long term sustainable flock.

I think it all depends on your situation and goals with the flock. When I mentioned buying heritage birds for the farm I was told to get some “real” chickens instead by the owner. They came with horribly trimmed beaks.

What are your goals with your flock? Are you looking for just eggs, will you be getting meat as well? Do you want to breed and hatch your own chicks? How many chickens do you want and what kind of management and housing will you use? What draws you to RIR as a breed?
 

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