Best bantam breed for egg production

[Wyatt0224]

I wanted to ask what breed of bantam is best at laying eggs. Specifically what the size of the eggs are and how often they lay, number eggs per week/year. I want to try and breed an RIR rooster over Silkie hens in the spring for bantam egg production but I wanted to know if there was a better breed available.

 

[0wen]

I think a bantam anything would be a better choice in place of a silkie foundation. I have barred rock bantams that lay nearly every day - relatively large eggs as far as bantams go. My bantam leghorns have laid daily - small to medium sized egg. I would look into some traditional breed bantams: Brahma, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Rocks, Welsumers, etc - to fill the gap you're considering with your silkie hens, that are known to be less than prolific layers with a tendency to brood.

 

[Wyatt0224]

I would love to have a shot at leghorns. I just don't know of any bantam leghorn breeders in my area. I'll have to ask around. One of my Silkie hens though is very reliable. She's laid an egg pretty much everyday, of course I don't know how long that will last.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Silkies are notoriously one of the most broody breeds. So breeding anything with a silkie can put a serious dent in your egg production.