Best and worst winter laying breeds?

[Egghead_Jr]

Brahma are renowned for winter laying. They slow down in hot months when your other birds are laying more than you need.

 

[Acre4Me]

Buy high production chicks each spring to add to your flock. They will lay through first winter. Then sell before second winter, when the new high production chicks take over. This will supplement you through the winter when more varied main flock reduces/stops production.

Otherwise,

I’ve heard that Chanticleers are good winter layers -we had one a couple of years ago, and I recall winter eggs. Also, some of our EE lay through winter (even older girls), but some do not (even younger ones/pullets). Our Barred Rocks will produce some as well. We have white Plymouth rocks, and surprisingly, they began to lay at age 7 months, in November!!

FWIW, we have light on a timer, so they get 14 hours of light a day, but reduce or stop laying -depending on the hen. But, never for 6 months, thankfully!

 

[Bkaye]

Brahma are renowned for winter laying. They slow down in hot months when your other birds are laying more than you need.

My Brahmas were hatched out in March, laid excellent for me during the summer. They started to molt on me last month. Went from getting almost a dozen eggs from them to anywhere between 0-3 out of 13 pullets.

Don’t always go off them not molting much first year. So far all off my pullets have went through a moot this far with the exception of one.

 

[Sussex19]

My Coronation Sussex laid all though last winter, unlike the Rhode Island Red and Cuckoo Orpington, they did not lay an egg all winter.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

My Brahmas were hatched out in March, laid excellent for me during the summer. They started to molt on me last month. Went from getting almost a dozen eggs from them to anywhere between 0-3 out of 13 pullets.

Don’t always go off them not molting much first year. So far all off my pullets have went through a moot this far with the exception of one.

I had one last year that molted and didnt lay all winter. The one i have this year has layed since i bought her in March. I think it depends on if they do a hard molt or not.

 

[Bkaye]

I had one last year that molted and didnt lay all winter. The one i have this year has layed since i bought her in March. I think it depends on if they do a hard molt or not.

I had a handful do a hard moly and they stopped laying all together. The first ones that started are just now finishing up. The rest was more of a soft molt they didn’t stop laying completely but it was reduced significantly. Some of my girls looked down right pitiful.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I had a handful do a hard moly and they stopped laying all together. The first ones that started are just now finishing up. The rest was more of a soft molt they didn’t stop laying completely but it was reduced significantly. Some of my girls looked down right pitiful.

I only have SLW thats doing thay righy now, she looked horrible and is getting better, she did lay all year up until the molt with no issues, now i have my buff orpington who thinks the eggs are hers to hatch and she is hiding them in the bedding. I think she has about 20 eggs including 4 fake eggs, and i cant get them from her, without my hand being pecked 30 times.

 

[drangle]

I have australorps, buff Orpingtons, cream crested legbars and I recently added some brown leghorns and blue copper Marans. None have started laying yet. It will be interesting to see what breed comes out on top.

 

[Iluveggers]

Bookmarking. This is my first winter w the chickens, and some just started laying. I’ll have to come back & update next year to add what happened w my breeds. I have high hopes for the Brahma, Sussex & Faverolles. We will see!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

My Maran and her Maran x Faverolle daughter have been very reliable. I have been getting 1-2 beautiful chocolate brown eggs pretty much every single day whether it has been 110F or -12F (with -50F wind chills) it has not made a difference. My Sussex has also been almost a daily layer. I picked up some Cochin Bantams this spring originally writing them off as layers and only got them for my kids, but I have been pleasantly surprised with them. They have been laying in sub-zero temperatures and while I usually eat eggs for breakfast I have always found 2 eggs to be too much for me and only 1 egg not to be filling enough. However, eating 1 regular egg and 1 bantam egg has been perfect. Who knew the bantams were the answer to my breakfast dilemma