Great big egg layers

[Nicole01]

My rhode island red is a fabulous layer! She is in the nest now laying her 7th egg in a row her second week of laying. Her eggs are already huge and bigger then store bought eggs into her 2nd week of laying. They are a nice deep rich brown color.

 

[stoopid]

Welsummer. Great pretty speckled eggs, and not as hard to come by as the Marans.

 

[amynbrent]

My DH has been talking to me about getting 100 chickens to start a very small egg business


**sounds like me and my DH just goes along. Over the winter he needs to make me another coop just for silkies. After selling 6 of my silkies and getting $80.00 for them I have an idea. I'm going to buy hatching eggs and also go around to all the Tractor Supply stores and look for all the little silkies mixed in. I'm going to raise them for a few weeks then sell them. I put my ad on CL and in less than an hour I had 30 something emails wanting them. Light bulb goes off... this is going to be my small chicken business. At $10 I still see a profit, I buy food already for my others, chick starter isnt all that much, I still have bedding....I have this all figured out

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Awwww, but everyone needs a polish in their life, just cuz they can make you smile.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If your business is only going to be a hobby where the economics of it are not really important then go with whatever of the "heritage" breeds that you like best.

But if the bottom line has to come out into the black (as in make a profit) then I'd go with a good red sex-link such as the ISA Brown and a good White Leghorn such as what McMurray sells then however many Easter Eggers you'd like to have. Then you'll have your best chance of making more than expenses.

I'm not taken with the productivity of any Easter Egger I've seen yet so this winter I'm going to start crossing my girls with some Leghorn and ISA Brown roosters to see if I can't boost their daughter's production next year.

 

[yoie]

Thanks all for the great input! I am doing this mostly for pleasure, but would like them to cover their expenses and a little extra money out of it wouldn't hurt

It seems that the Barred Rocks seem to be the most popular as far as big brown eggers go, along with the RIR's. I will definately keep this in mind with my decisions! I also didn't realize that the Rose Comb Leghorn wasn't as good of a layer, and will look into either the white or the Minorca as someone mentioned! Might also have to add some Welsummers to the mix too. There are so many great breeds out there to choose from, this is going to be a long and hard decision.

 

[Happy Chooks]

My egg customers like my variety of colors. I took this photo today of my welsummer eggs (white egg is for color comparison):

 

[heatherkh]

The farm where I volunteered for years before owning my own chickens has had Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and Australorps (currently they have RIR and Americaunas). Our best laying year was when the flock was about 50/50 BR and BO, tho the Australorps weren't far behind...tho the eggs were a little smaller. The new RIR and Americauna flock just recently came up to full laying speed, but I still think the BR and BO flock was the most productive.

 

[colby318]

I have to say my hatchery stock Welsummers were machines. I was pleasantly surprised! They also weren't broody, unlike my beloved wyandottes. Cross a welsummer roo with some of your EEs and you'll have olive eggs to sell next summer. A big hit with my egg customers. The kids dig 'em. (Green eggs and ham...)

 

[JodyJo]

I have BR, great eggs....California White, one white egg a day so far...Australorp, champion egg layers...

sounds like you are going to have a ton of fun!! Good luck!