Ideas of layers

[Beachannie53]

Hi again, going to the chicken pros..... We put together coop all I need is the run done and my girls come home to their everlasting home ( I hope) my ? Is what is a smaller decent layer to go in our coop. It's smaller than the picture implied, but it will be our test run, figure out how this works, what we want or do we want a phase 2. I have full grown Dominique and Easter Egger but want 2more. Outside most of day in run, walk through yard before going into coop for night. Hot summers, good layer, quiet bird, mild winters. Brown eggs white eggs no difference. Not bantams. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Leghorns are a smaller productive chicken

 

[Beachannie53]

Thank you.....That's what I was thinking.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I wish I had some better or more options to throw at you but are usually look for a bigger breeds because we free range a lot and I just really like bigger chickens.

 

[Beachannie53]

Free range isn't much of a possibility unless we stay out there constantly. Between the roaming creatures we have through our yard chickens are safer in a run. The funny thing is we have lived here for over a year and only the last couple of weeks we have noticed and heard a hawk early morning. It's like he knows we are getting chickens and just keeps checking in. He will be very disappointed when he can't get to the girls due to the roof top security we are putting in.

 

[Alaskan]

I have been very fond of my Spitzhauben. They lay well, are a slim trim bird, but their eggs ARE on the smaller side.

I also love my Leghorns! I have had hatchery production whites (which are NOT as long lived as the other colors), and from a breeder rose comb whites, rose comb dark browns, and then a batch of various colors from a breeder.

Leghorns now come in a crazy number of fancy colors, especially if you look at breeders and not just hatcheries. Some of the colors/breeder lines are way more spastic or way more calm than others... also egg size varies from extra large down to a large medium depending on color and breeder.

But... I strongly recommend a Leghorn... just if you buy from a breeder ask about egg size and personality of their line.

 

[Alaskan]

Also.... look at any of the Mediterranean breeds...

the Penesdesenca lays very dark eggs, and does great in heat, it is from Spain

There is also the Andalusian and the Ancona, and the Egyptian Fayoumi

 

[Beachannie53]

Thank you for info.

 

[Beachannie53]

How old can a chick be when they can be introduced and moved into the coop with laying hens?

 

[Alaskan]

It depends...

Since you have 2 already, it will work best if you add the next 2 at the same time....

If one of the girls that you already have goes broody... you might be able to slip the 2 new chicks under her skirts and they can take over the work of chick raising! (That would be easiest in my opinion.... but then 1 has to go broody first)

If the hens are mellow, or very motherly(even if they do not go broody)... you might be able to add chicks at a young age... otherwise you will have to wait until the 2 new ones are at least half the size of the older ones.... and even then watch carefully.

More space, and 2 of everything (feeders, waterers, perches) will help.