BEST Brown Egg laying breed ?

[Julie_in_PA]

Just curious what you all consider to be the BEST Brown egg layer ??

According to quantity, egg size, etc.

 

[bigzio]

I love my light brahmas. They are a heritage breed and lay for longer periods of time, compared to any of the hybreds, that tend to burn our before long.

My 3 year old hens still lay every other day....what more could you ask for?

They are wonderful to work with and will be your favorite breed if you give them a chance.

bigzio

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm new at raising hens. Can someone tell me if RIR's aggressive towards other hens. I have some NHR's. that are aggressive towards my ameraucanas. Thanks for any information.

Almost everything will be aggressive toward the non-combative Ameraucanas or Easter Eggers. I have 2 Silkies that keep chasing my APA Blue Wheaten Ameraucana because my Amer avoids conflict at all costs. She like most Amers and EEs is a good layer so to keep from stressing and interfering with her egg production I don't put her with dual purpose or assertive breeds like RIRs, NHRs, BRs, Orps, Lorps, Wyans, Legs, etc. Amers and EEs are nurturing birds that accept orphaned chicks or injured birds into their flock without incident where other breeds are not so nice. I have had RIR, NHR, BR, Doms, Legs, Marans, Silkies, Calif Grays, Ameraucana, and in the Spring will try a docile Breda. My RIR, NHR, BR, & Legs were good together but I consider them too assertive to mix with gentle non-combative breeds like Silkies, Polish, Amer or EEs, Araucana, Houdan, Faverolles, Cochins, Breda, Sultan, etc.

These are generalities. Sometimes an assertive breed will be gentle for a few seasons and then go bonkers on her flockmates like our Legs did -- we lucked out having one Leg gentle for 3 years before she turned on her flockmates but another Leg at 1 y/o got super-aggressive pulling beards/crests on the gentle breeds and so we had to rehome all the Legs. Between BRs and Doms I preferred the Doms for their consistent personalities. With BRs that have Malay and Game bird in their history I never knew what personality I would get out of them. People say it depends on what strain/line the birds come from but I don't consider that completely accurate any more. My friend and I had Marans of different colors from different lines/strains and we considered them all quite unpleasant regardless of what breeder they came from. They are ok in their own flock but are hard to find what breeds to mix them with so they don't nip or fight so mean.

Since you have Ameraucanas (or if they are Easter Eggers) they will usually avoid conflict unless cornered so I don't mix them with the assertive dual purpose or assertive breeds like RIR, NHR, BR, Orps, Wyans, Legs, etc. My friend's EE was injured badly from the assertive dual purpose breeds in the flock because like Faverolles most EEs try to run rather than fight back.

 

[equine chick]

My best brown layer is my red sex links and my barred rocks. I heard rir are good too.

 

[mmajw]

My Barred Rocks are good layers even in the winter

 

[peruvian_princess]

My RIRs lay all winter long too! I am in Georgia so the winters arent so terrible. I get eggs everyday regardless. They seemt o take turns on who will take a break LOL! If one stops the others lay so i always get eggs.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

My Brown sex links and Black sex links lay really large eggs and lay great, even in the winter!

 

[peruvian_princess]

Oh I forgot to mention that my RIR eggs are double the size of the ameraucana eggs that I had shipped in. I guess mine would be considered extra large eggs and the ameraucanas are mediums.

 

[GallowayFarms]

I live in East Tn. I have 18 of the barred rock hens. Even when the temps were in the 30's i was getting at least a dozen eggs a day. I had some RIR's but they don't seem to like the cold as much.

So if you see chilly temps and don't have a heated hen house the Barred Rocks are my choice for nice large to extra large brown eggs

Good Luck

Nick

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Barred Rocks.