Choice of breed for eggs?

[littlelemon]

My Delawares do not lay as well as my rocks. I probably get about 4-5 eggs a week from them in the summer, but I get 6-7 from my rocks.

 

[cybercat]

OP wants to have pure bred chickens to build a flock that they can breed for years to come. Which means no sex links as they do not contiune to lay past 2.

Ok now to answer your question Tulli13. Yes both of the breeds you are looking at would work well with your plan. Any of the colors of Rock will work or Wyandottes or Orpingtons or Sussex. Maran will also work as well as Welsummers. All you need to know here is that once you start breeding away from hatchry lines you need to keep improvemnt in mind. Some of these breeds after breeding away from hatchery stock will degrad fast in body and egg laying, at least the barred rocks will as they are production rock for a hatchery. Egg laying of heritage breeds listed will not be as much as sex links ect but you know that, but they will last longer which is what you want. I know some of these a still laying eggs into 6 years of life some into 9. They might not be laying every day but most I have read about are laying 3 to 4 times a week still.

I would go to the ALBC site and read there improvment breeding pages for egg laying or meat chickens. It is in the hertiage chicken section under resources. Also you might want to buy from one of thier breeders as they will have good stock for the long run. Unlike hatchery stock which is short run at best. Here is the link to that section of their site.

http://www.albc-usa.org/heritagechicken/index.html

I am doing what you are thinking but only in my first year of it. if you need more source just PM or if you have any questions. Always glad to help.

 

[lauriruth]

my black sex link started laying at right around 4 months and hasn't missed a day yet! my other 3---not one egg yet! AND my BSL is the most friendly of the bunch...very vocal (sings to me - this sweet little hum). very attached to her.

 

[rirluvr]

I bought Rhode Island Reds from Mcmurray because I was told they are the ones to get if you like brown eggs. Mine hatched Aug 5 2009, and started laying 5 months later. They are great.

I heard there is no nutritional difference between white and brown eggs but for some reason I like brown eggs better.

Also of importance one of my 3 girls , the one who laid first has been laying an egg daily for 16 days in a row. I had read to expect 5 eggs in a week but this girl is just not obeying the rules. I can tell all my girls eggs apart and I keep a log on time and date of egg laying.

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
Ooh, what would I get if I crossed my Orp roo with a Partridge Rock? I like the partridge coloring better than the barred... Would it turn out a sex link of some sort? That would be COOL!!!

 

[Chris623]

I'm a newbie to all this chicken "stuff", but I've 14 hens..........a mixture of Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds and Black Star. I can't positively tell you which ones are the best layers because I'm getting 14 eggs practically every day!!!!! (Never more than 14, and never less than 12 since they broke the "doz-a-day" routine!) So I can recommend these three breeds, for sure.

 

[JimWWhite]

I have 19 Gold Comets which are also called Red Sex Links and I can promise you that you'll not find a better layer. Ours are all under a year old so technically they're still pullets. Since January 1st we've gotten 378 extra large brown eggs from our Gals. We get 17 to 19 each and every day without fail. We don't push them with lights or anything like that. They get good layer pellets, clean water, fresh greens on a regular basis, and a clean, dry, safe place to live. Everyone told me they'd quit laying in the winter or they'd slow down. But they've been laying machines even though we had daytime highs from Christmas until this week in the high 20's and low 30's with nighttime lows in the mid to low-teens. And in addition to being great layers the GC's are really nice, people friendly chickens. They love being around people. They'll come up to you when you're working in the coop cleaning it and give you an earfull of squawking and clucking. They're also really hardy. I've not had a case of anything with our Gals in the year since we started keeping chickens.

This 'True Breed' stuff is a bunch of hooey in my opinion. You're not talking about show dogs here. If you want fancy ornamental chickens then get yourself some Silkies or Polish Buffs. You're not to get layers though. But if you want chickens that give you a lot of eggs you can use for your own family and friends and sell what you don't use to your co-workers or others, get yourself some Gold Comets. The best laying chicken you can find, bar none!

 

[briteday]

Quote:
Where did you get these awesome GC's??? My egg customers would love to know!

 

[JimWWhite]

From Shook's Poultry in Claremont, NC. They're on the Internet. We bought them as 18 week old started pullets. We had to go up there, which is only about 25 miles from us to pick them up. Within four weeks after arriving the first six started laying. Then we added another six from the same place. Same story. Then we added another six but found a seventh in the crate when we got home. That was early September. Before the end of the month all nineteen were laying. Since November 1st we've been averaging 18 eggs a day from our 19 Gals. We had one low day of 14 back about Christmas but that was a blip. As of yesterday we've gotten 378 eggs since the first of the year. They are laying machines! We've decided to make it an even 40 this spring and get another 21 pullets. I've got the room so why not? I'll have to build on to the coop but that'll be easy enough to do. For egg layers you cannot, repeat cannot beat the Gold Comet for production.

 

[SC_Hugh]

Quote:
Thank you for your $1.00 reply (worth more than $0.02)...

My local feed store will have a variety of chicks in early March, lots of choices. I was thinking of getting Sex Links because they lay well and also because I don't want another rooster, but now I decided to add a little more variety to my backyard flock.

I currently have 2 Dominque pullets and 2 Blue Cochins (pullet and roo). I am looking to add 4 more layers (this year) and then some more next year.

I want great layers of any color egg than white. I am tempted to get 2 breeds of 2 again...

My short list of choices as of today: Ameraucana (variety of egg color), Black Australorp (lorps and orps?), Buff Orpington (really round and cute), RIR (muchos huevos), or Wyandotte (beautiful feather colors and patterns).

HELP!!!

--Hugh