Chicken breeds that lay eggs less frequently but lay longer

[Iluveggers]

I think I will stick with Dominiques, EEs, and Welsummers. I'm going to order chick's online, what is the best online hatchery? If anyone else has any breed recommendations please share them!

How many are you looking to add? I’m pretty familiar with minimums & shipping charges at the main hatcheries. That will help with making the best choice.

 

[Tookie]

I am going to get 2 Dominiques, 2 Welsummers, and 3 EEs.

 

[CanadaEh]

In 2017 we got 3 leghorns and 3 Isa browns, we only have 1 leghorn left, all the Isa browns and 1 leghorn got sick and died after they were done laying. The other leghorn got killed by a dog. After that experience I want healthy chickens that will lay longer. I am interested in the Andalusians, I also will look into Swedish Flower hens.

Your chickens might have stopped laying because of getting sick, not got sick and died because of stopping laying. Also you did not say how old they were.

If you want to keep the same hens for many years will you be ok with having virtually no eggs for increasing every year amount of time they would take to molt and rest every fall/winter?

 

[Iluveggers]

I would recommend Ideal. They have a minimum of $30 per order, and at ~$4-$5 per chick you’ll hit their minimum. Shipping is only $7

 

[elikemketeku]

Commercial? As in?

Yes they can be crossed. If you are talking about red sexlinks, the offspring of two red sexlinks will not carry on the sexlinkage. But if you are talking about something like an RIR, the offspring will be RIRs.

okay and thank you...let's say I ordered 50 bovans brown commercial layers and within some months I found out that 2 of them were males. If I crossed one of these males with a couple of females will they lay fertilized eggs which can be hatched. And will they have the same abilities as their parents?

 

[cherrynberry]

okay and thank you...let's say I ordered 50 bovans brown commercial layers and within some months I found out that 2 of them were males. If I crossed one of these males with a couple of females will they lay fertilized eggs which can be hatched. And will they have the same abilities as their parents?

Bovan Browns ARE red sexlinks. Its just a hatchery way of making things complicated. The chicks will not be sexlinked, but will lay well and still be dual purpose birds. They will be mutts and not Bovan Browns. To be honest, even Bovan Browns are a mutt, but they are a specific crossing of two breeds that happens to create a sexlink. Since this only works in filial 1 crossings, the offspring of two red sexlinks will be, to say the least, barnyard crosses.

 

[Tookie]

Ok, thank you!

 

[elikemketeku]

Bovan Browns ARE red sexlinks. Its just a hatchery way of making things complicated. The chicks will not be sexlinked, but will lay well and still be dual purpose birds. They will be mutts and not Bovan Browns. To be honest, even Bovan Browns are a mutt, but they are a specific crossing of two breeds that happens to create a sexlink. Since this only works in filial 1 crossings, the offspring of two red sexlinks will be, to say the least, barnyard crosses.

okay, if understand you correctly these birds can only perform their high egg laying ability only for a particular laying period and if crosses that ability is gone.

 

[cherrynberry]

okay, if understand you correctly these birds can only perform their high egg laying ability only for a particular laying period and if crosses that ability is gone.

Nope, they will still be dual purpose and lay VERY well. Don't get me wrong on that. The only thing that will be lost is their sexlinkage. They wouldn't be able to be sexed at birth. And the males and females will no longer look distinct. Right now, the males are white-ish and females are mostly brown. That is because they are sexlinked and only the males have a silver gene.

 

[elikemketeku]

Nope, they will still be dual purpose and lay VERY well. Don't get me wrong on that. The only thing that will be lost is their sexlinkage. They wouldn't be able to be sexed at birth. And the males and females will no longer look distinct. Right now, the males are white-ish and females are mostly brown. That is because they are sexlinked and only the males have a silver gene.

okay...sexed at birth? help me understand. I am really new to this.