Welcome to BYC and Happy Holidays! Check out the BYC Breeds section for member reviews on the golden or red sex links and other breeds/crosses. If you are looking for a great brown egg layer and intend to replace your birds every two or so years (as commercial egg producers do), the red sex links are very hard to beat. As pets, they do seem prone to reproductive problems as they age, and most are not that long lived. If you are looking more for pet birds that lay fewer brown eggs per year but tend to live longer and spread them out over more years, Wyandottes, Sussex, Orpingtons, Australorps and heritage type Rhode Island Reds are some popular breed choices.
Wyandottes are another breed you may want to look into. They are docile, inquisitive, and great layers. Mine have the most personality of all of my birds and are the hardiest. In the summer, they give me 6 eggs a week each, and drop off to maybe 4 a week in the winter.
