Brown egg laying chickens

[kenzier093]

I want to get some VERY good egg layers soon. What kind of chickens do you recommend for the best layers of brown eggs?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I have black australorps who I hear are good layers (we're a few weeks off yet) and buff orpingtons who lay pretty well.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Sex links (both red and black) are basically egg laying machines - they are production hybrids.

 

[kenzier093]

How good are the golden comets? Are cinnamon queens the same thing as red sex links just another name?

 

[Michael OShay]

How good are the golden comets? Are cinnamon queens the same thing as red sex links just another name?

Golden Comets and Cinnamon Queens are two of many labels under which some hatcheries market their Red Sex Links. Red Sex Links are produced by crossing a red gene rooster (RIR, Prod. Red, or NHR) with a silver gene hen (WR, RIW, SLW, Delaware, or Light Sussex). The resulting offspring are better layers than either parent breed and can be sexed by color at hatching (male chicks are whitish, females are reddish). Other labels by which hatcheries market them under are Red Star, Brown Sex Link, Gold Sex Link, Gold Star, Golden Buff, Bovans Brown, Hubbard's Golden Comet, Isa Brown, Shaver Brown, Babcock Brown, Warrens, Hylines, Gold Lines, Lohmans, Lohmans Brown, etc., but no matter which labels they are marketed under, the RSLs are all egg laying machines.

The other sex link variety is the Black Sex Link, which is produced by crossing a red gene rooster (usually an RIR) with a barred gene hen (usually a BR). Like the RSLs, the offspring are better layers than either parent breed and can be sexed by color at hatching (male chicks are black with a white spot on top of their heads, females are solid black).

Both sex link varieties are egg laying machines and Murray McMurray, which breeds hundreds of both varieties every year, states that there is no difference in the lay rate of the two varieties; that they are equal (http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/faqwhichbreedlaysbetterredstar.html), but I have raised both breeds over many years, and personally prefer the Black Sex Link as my Blacks have been friendlier, have layed slightly better in really cold winter weather, and have had a slightly longer laying peak than my Red Sex Links. But for tremendous brown egg production, you can't go wrong with either variety.

 

[kenzier093]

Golden Comets and Cinnamon Queens are two of many labels under which some hatcheries market their Red Sex Links. Red Sex Links are produced by crossing a red gene rooster (RIR, Prod. Red, or NHR) with a silver gene hen (WR, RIW, SLW, Delaware, or Light Sussex). The resulting offspring are better layers than either parent breed and can be sexed by color at hatching (male chicks are whitish, females are reddish). Other labels by which hatcheries market them under are Red Star, Brown Sex Link, Gold Sex Link, Gold Star, Golden Buff, Bovans Brown, Hubbard's Golden Comet, Isa Brown, Shaver Brown, Babcock Brown, Warrens, Hylines, Gold Lines, Lohmans, Lohmans Brown, etc., but no matter which labels they are marketed under, the RSLs are all egg laying machines.

The other sex link variety is the Black Sex Link, which is produced by crossing a red gene rooster (usually an RIR) with a barred gene hen (usually a BR). Like the RSLs, the offspring are better layers than either parent breed and can be sexed by color at hatching (male chicks are black with a white spot on top of their heads, females are solid black).

Both sex link varieties are egg laying machines and Murray McMurray, which breeds hundreds of both varieties every year, states that there is no difference in the lay rate of the two varieties; that they are equal (http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/faqwhichbreedlaysbetterredstar.html), but I have raised both breeds over many years, and personally prefer the Black Sex Link as my Blacks have been friendlier, have layed slightly better in really cold winter weather, and have had a slightly longer laying peak than my Red Sex Links. But for tremendous brown egg production, you can't go wrong with either variety.

Thanks for that! When do you think their best egg production is over and I should get new pullets? 2 years and older?

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks for that! When do you think their best egg production is over and I should get new pullets? 2 years and older?

Since I prefer the Black Sex Links (for the reasons I gave in my post), I don't raise the Reds any longer. I keep a rotation of the BSLs (I did the same with the RSLs when I had them) by ordering new ones in the early spring of my current BSLs' second year. That way when the new BSLs reach laying age, I can begin to cull the old BSLs, who are still laying quite well, out of the flock (either by eating them, selling them, or giving them away. By the time I cull out the last of the old BSLs I will have gotten almost 3 years of laying out of them. For example, I ordered a batch of BSL chicks in March of 2013, so around March of 2015, I will order the next batch of BSL chicks. Then, when the first of the new BSLs begin laying, I will begin culling out the old BSLs. By using this rotation system, I keep a steady supply of eggs coming. Hopefully my explanation is making sense to you. )
P.S. I have had an occasional BSL that I kept into the 4th year because she was still cranking out eggs at a pretty good rate. I never had that with the RSLs.

 

[kenzier093]

Since I prefer the Black Sex Links (for the reasons I gave in my post), I don't raise the Reds any longer. I keep a rotation of the BSLs (I did the same with the RSLs when I had them) by ordering new ones in the early spring of my current BSLs' second year. That way when the new BSLs reach laying age, I can begin to cull the old BSLs, who are still laying quite well, out of the flock (either by eating them, selling them, or giving them away. By the time I cull out the last of the old BSLs I will have gotten almost 3 years of laying out of them. For example, I ordered a batch of BSL chicks in March of 2013, so around March of 2015, I will order the next batch of BSL chicks. Then, when the first of the new BSLs begin laying, I will begin culling out the old BSLs. By using this rotation system, I keep a steady supply of eggs coming. Hopefully my explanation is making sense to you. )
P.S. I have had an occasional BSL that I kept into the 4th year because she was still cranking out eggs at a pretty good rate. I never had that with the RSLs.

That is what I do with my other chickens too. I only have 5 RSLs so I don't know what the others are like. Right now they are 1 1/2 years old so next spring they will be 2 years old. Then I order more and get rid of them because in my other breeds, I notice a decrease in egg production after they reach 2 years old. That sounds great about the BSL's that they lay good in the winter and all year round. I want to get some of them and RSLs to compare them next year. Around what age do they start laying? My reds was around 18 weeks I think.

 

[BrendaJ]

Sexlinks & black copper marans

 

[ChickenLover200]

I have Barred Plymouth Rocks and Gold Links that are awesome layers!