I have one chicken who some weeks will lay eight eggs, she went every other day during molt for two weeks. That's it, don't know how you get better than that - she lays a large egg or a double yolker consistently. She's a black australorp but she's an a......... I won't have more than one.
My Partridge and Barred Rocks lay an egg a day, except in molt but they're not HUGE eggs. But other than the weirdo above it's very hard to beat an egg a day winter or summer.
Right now my Dels lay an egg a day, don't know about winter yet, or molt yet they're young pullets. There aren't any "stats" on feed conversion for them since they're a newly established breed.
Here they forage like demons and eat reasonably and most of their eggs are already large and I can see a few that will probably produce jumbo eggs of good brown peach or brown pink, color.
Unless Isa Browns and Sexlinks lay 8 or more eggs a week year round they're not beating out my birds for laying.
Their eggs could be larger - if HUGE eggs are wanted then yep go with production leghorns and the mixes.
I'll stick with my rocks and my Dels and that jerk Australorp.
Good Dels have grand egg color, not you typical store bought oiled brown egg but with some pink or peach to it, but very attractive - my customers love them. One of the hens throws little purple freckles on hers, people like that. One of my barred throws VERY dark brown eggs. I like the variety when I open the carton, so do people who buy my eggs and I'm hoping to add a few blue egg layers for fun.
Some people want consistent HUGE same color, same size eggs and don't care about the whole pretty thing.
I'm not fond of the colors of the Hybrids, I don't like all white chickens, I do not like white eggs.
So that's why I have what I have. Each person chooses his own values and path. As it should be.
My Partridge and Barred Rocks lay an egg a day, except in molt but they're not HUGE eggs. But other than the weirdo above it's very hard to beat an egg a day winter or summer.
Right now my Dels lay an egg a day, don't know about winter yet, or molt yet they're young pullets. There aren't any "stats" on feed conversion for them since they're a newly established breed.
Here they forage like demons and eat reasonably and most of their eggs are already large and I can see a few that will probably produce jumbo eggs of good brown peach or brown pink, color.
Unless Isa Browns and Sexlinks lay 8 or more eggs a week year round they're not beating out my birds for laying.
Their eggs could be larger - if HUGE eggs are wanted then yep go with production leghorns and the mixes.
I'll stick with my rocks and my Dels and that jerk Australorp.
Good Dels have grand egg color, not you typical store bought oiled brown egg but with some pink or peach to it, but very attractive - my customers love them. One of the hens throws little purple freckles on hers, people like that. One of my barred throws VERY dark brown eggs. I like the variety when I open the carton, so do people who buy my eggs and I'm hoping to add a few blue egg layers for fun.
Some people want consistent HUGE same color, same size eggs and don't care about the whole pretty thing.
I'm not fond of the colors of the Hybrids, I don't like all white chickens, I do not like white eggs.
So that's why I have what I have. Each person chooses his own values and path. As it should be.
