I have a question about brown leghorns, help please?

[Mourningdove]

Hello everyone,
On Jan.30th of this year I had ordered the surprise pullet special from Ideal and I have been happy with my order thus far! Now in that assortment of pullets 4 were the light brown leghorn pullets! Now all of my girls have/were laying real well, now I believe some are starting to molt which doesn't surprise me much. I went from around 19 eggs a day since early July to now 5-8 a day. Of all those girls my 4 leghorn girls have been what I call inconsistant to say the least. I am lucky if I see an egg from them. I would think of the 4 I should get at least 2 a day but I don't. I have been getting maybe 2 eggs per week from them. Are leghorns a breed who is inconsistant their 1st year? I gotta say I heard they were 1 of the best in egg production, so what gives? Should I sell them? Or will they get better?
They are eating just as good as the rest are

 

[HBuehler]

We have leghorns in all colors..all of mine are pretty reliable other than my broody red one she has never laid and egg just steals them to hatch.

But the white is the best most reliable layer of all the leghorns the colored ones are often not as prolific ...still should be getting a decent amount from them though. Possible the days are getting shorter and they are just cutting back.
Remind them they taste like Chicken

 

[Countrywife]

Made me giggle. When I am not getting the eggs I should I go around the hen house saying "Eggs for breakfast or chicken for dinner- your choice"

 

[djackjr]

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[maf2008]

No matter what.. If you can get any more chickens please do consider the Ideal 236.. its a cross between the white leghorn and a production black (also a white egg layer) 236 Ideal these are the VERY BEST egg layers. I get 5 of their eggs to each brown egg layer in the pen.

This is what I figured out... Most hen owners should have a "mixed flock" of both white and brown egg layers the Ideal 236 will lay
E-V-E-R-Y D-A-Y NO MATTER WHAT for 2 years in a row... rain or shine heat or cold...

but then drop off egg production by 3rd year they will be "spent" and go into the crock pot.

The Brown egg layers BO and BR and Sex links and so will lay a longer time... say maybe 3/6 years but with molting and non egg laying perionds during rain or heat. You may get 3 eggs a week instead of 7 eggs a week..... but for a longer time than an Ideal 236. So this is why I think EVERYONE should have the Ideal
236. thats my verison of what I have learned.

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[Mourningdove]

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that is hilarious and I shall use that one. I have been telling those girls to get on their butts and lay me some eggs!

 

[Mourningdove]

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Thank you for your input! Now tell me what to look under for the ideal 236? Are they considered to be sex-links?

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Ideal 236 are found under Leghorns

 

[Mourningdove]

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Thank you very much! I shall go look now

 

[jossanne]

I don't know how well my brown leghorn lays, as I can't tell her eggs from my other white layers. But I see her in the nest box most days.

If your girls hatched in January, they shouldn't be molting yet. If they are missing feathers, it's from picking. Feather picking and less eggs can be caused by lice and mites. So I'd check them over really well, particularly around their vents and under their wings, to see if there are tiny little bugs.

I think that everyone's chickens have slowed down dramatically these days, and it's normal. I was getting around 25 eggs a day early in the summer, and now I'm lucky if I get 16. I don't know why they slow, but my mom's flock has, and my landlord's flock has, and everyone that I have spoken with tells me the same thing. Less eggs. Darn!