Is any breed docile AND a great layer?

[Henrik Petersson]

I don't know what breeds you have available to you, but you might look at Henderson's chicken breeds thread. No doubt the strains you have available to you will be different than the ones we have here in the states. Why, RIR might even be a docile breed there, but here she has a reputation of being a nasty tempered biddy.

I am partial to Plymouth Barred Rock to meet your criteria. You might also try White Rock. Or Australorpe.

A surprisingly large number of breeds are available to me, especially if I'm prepared to travel a bit. There has been somewhat of a chicken boom in Sweden.

RIR is used in brown layer hybrids, right? In that case, I would guess they are not that docile.

Barred Rocks, of course! I'd forgotten that I'd read about them being docile and good layers earlier. Pretty feathering too.

 

[lazy gardener]

In days of old, before so many breeds were "dumbed down" by the hatchery industry, RIR were known to be wonderful layers, and docile: Beautiful birds with gorgeous mahogany colored feathers. Since the hatchery industry started producing so many breeds with focus on productivity, while ignoring all of the other essential traits, the hatchery RIR are more of a production breed, with watered down feather color, and productivity favored over behavior traits.

There are still some heritage RIR being maintained by private breeders that possess the admirable traits of the original RIR.

I added Buck Eye to my flock this spring. Buck Eye are a pea combed bird with RIR in their breeding. They possess that wonderful mahogany color, are even tempered, and even have a reputation of being good mousers. A bit slow to mature. I can't yet speak to their productivity, or tendency toward broodiness. But, in my flock, I'm pleased with them.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

In days of old, before so many breeds were "dumbed down" by the hatchery industry, RIR were known to be wonderful layers, and docile: Beautiful birds with gorgeous mahogany colored feathers. Since the hatchery industry started producing so many breeds with focus on productivity, while ignoring all of the other essential traits, the hatchery RIR are more of a production breed, with watered down feather color, and productivity favored over behavior traits.

There are still some heritage RIR being maintained by private breeders that possess the admirable traits of the original RIR.

I added Buck Eye to my flock this spring. Buck Eye are a pea combed bird with RIR in their breeding. They possess that wonderful mahogany color, are even tempered, and even have a reputation of being good mousers. A bit slow to mature. I can't yet speak to their productivity, or tendency toward broodiness. But, in my flock, I'm pleased with them.

Intersting with the history of the RIR there. While I do like the mahogany color, we have 9 brown layer hybrids now, and an Araucana rooster that also happens to be mahogany, and our mix hen that's white and buff. So for variety's sake, and to not make our mix stand out too much, I'd prefer to add some non-mahogany hens.

Buck Eye doesn't exist in Sweden. I am however intrigued by that breed and might import it in a far future. I dream of someday importing a new breed across the pond. It is, however, a tremendous hassle, if you want to do it by the book.

 

[lazy gardener]

to not make our mix stand out too much, I'd prefer to add some non-mahogany hens.

I love a mixed flock. Also, if you add barred hens to your flock, your roo will produce some lovely black sex linked chicks which may lay green eggs! Not to worry. Home bred sex links are not the problematic sex links that you are familiar with from the hatcheries. They are wonderful layers, not prone to the reproductive issues of hatchery SL, possess hybrid vigor, and will be bred to be more compatible with your particular environment. If your roo is pea combed, your home bred BSL will also be pea combed (if dam was single combed) so less prone to frost bite.

 

[judevie]

What about speckled Sussex? I don't personally have any, but have heard they are very sweet hens, and good layers. I would like to get one or two, the next time I add to my flock.

 

[besorto]

Australorps through and through.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

I love a mixed flock. Also, if you add barred hens to your flock, your roo will produce some lovely black sex linked chicks which may lay green eggs! Not to worry. Home bred sex links are not the problematic sex links that you are familiar with from the hatcheries. They are wonderful layers, not prone to the reproductive issues of hatchery SL, possess hybrid vigor, and will be bred to be more compatible with your particular environment. If your roo is pea combed, your home bred BSL will also be pea combed (if dam was single combed) so less prone to frost bite.

Indeed I chose the Araucana rooster a lot because I wanted to avoid frost bite! Frost bite has been a plague among our chickens.

What about speckled Sussex? I don't personally have any, but have heard they are very sweet hens, and good layers. I would like to get one or two, the next time I add to my flock.

Speckled and white columbia Sussex are both interesting!

So is Welsummer, by the way. Do Welsumer lay a lot of eggs?

 

[BantammChick]

Barred Rock should be a good breed for you,they are sweet pets and also lay good.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Barred Rock should be a good breed for you,they are sweet pets and also lay good.

They are right now my number one choice. I've already put up an ad on Facebook!

 

[RiverOtter]

LOL - things are different for everyone, my Barred Rock hens were mean as sin, but I could very well have gotten a bad line. I only got them the once, from one place.

But I have gotten Easter Eggers several times from different sources. And while they're not amazing layers - they are slow to start and average 5 a week - I've found that once they finally do start, they just keep going, and going, and going. They are the last to stop laying in winter and first to start back up again, summer heat and storms don't put them off and my current oldest bird is out of an EE hen, 7 years old and the one who has steadily given me at least an egg a week while everyone else dropped out completely to molt.