Best and Worse Layer and Why?

[Disheygirl]

Just curious about other people’s experience and wanted to start a thread.

What breeds do you own / have you owned, and what was your best and worse layer breed and why?

My breeds are in my signature, and…

Best layer: Austra White
Why: lays every day, egg shell is perfect (not too thick or thin, cracks very evenly), and large egg is the perfect ratio of yolk to white.

Worst layer: Ameraucana
Why: small (small) egg, shell cracks in 20 pieces every time / fragile shell

 

[cluckmecoop7]

My best egg layers were probably my Buff Orpington's or my Black Star.

 

[Chicken poppy]

I own seramas, silkies, cochins, black sex link and some mutt. Silkies are awful layers

AWFULL


my best would probably be my bantam cochin! Very consistant, lays everyday!

2nd worst would be darling the serama. Lays eggs every other day fragile shell, isnt super consistant, have gotten soft shells from her. Not good with cracking.


my huge mutt lays very big eggs, and has laid the biggest in my flock! (Almost 5 OZ!!)
usually sticking to 3 OZ though.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

White Leghorns are the best layers I have had. They lay almost every day, and large eggs consistent eggs.
I don’t have any of them currently.
Of the hens I currently have, I have been most impressed with my New Hampshires, it seems like they lay very regular, and nice sized eggs. They layed through the winter seemed like better than my Australorps.
Now they are all laying again pretty good.
Currently have Australorps, New Hampshire, a couple Barred Rocks, a couple Orpingtons and some Orpington crosses that hatched out last summer, and a couple Americauna/Easter eggers.
I may be the odd opinion out, but my worst chickens have been Red Star/Golden Comets, they just seem to be short lived and too prone to problems. Egg quality seems to go down hill fast too.

 

[Acre4Me]

Best: several have been good: Barred Rocks, SLW, BCM, all come to mind.

Worst: dark brown leghorn from an exhibition line. Beautiful birds, males and females. But 3 girls: first laid at around 35 weeks, next around 39 weeks, third never laid before sold at 45 weeks!! And they were a Feb hatch, so should have begun to lay in July.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

My Silkies are actually my best layers- they lay consistently through the winter too.

 

[Iluveggers]

Best is our Sapphire Gem…huge cream eggs almost every day.

Worst was a Wyandotte…she passed within 6 months, so I think that was a fluke because she had someone internal going on.

 

[Chicken poppy]

My Silkies are actually my best layers- they lay consistently through the winter too.

silkies are usually very awful.

Usually laying 3 eggs or so a week. Not good.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

silkies are usually very awful.

Usually laying 3 eggs or so a week. Not good.

Mine lay almost an egg a day.

I think they're actually really good-the catch being when they're not broody.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

My brown leghorns lay really well-every day I get an egg from at least 2 of the three. My speckled sussexes lay still even though they're older. My Australorp isn't a very good layer and her shells always crack unevenly because her eggs are oblong. The rest of my birds are Welsummers and Marans and of the two the welsummers lay most consistently. I don't pick breeds based on production though. Most of my current layers I actually raised for someone else who likes the dark eggs. My next batch is Naked Necks, Barnevelders (they don't lay a lot but they lay through winter) and a Salmon Faverolle. I like heritage breeds which aren't known to be great layers but they are pretty and usually docile.