Laying age

[SowdersHomestead]

I know this question gets asked all the time and there is no real answer. But, Is there a breed that characteristically starts laying sooner than other breeds? Are there certain things you can feed a pullet to help facilitate early egg laying? Any old wives tales any one has heard?

Thanks

 

[Fred's Hens]

Forget all the gimmicks and old wives tales. They lay when their bodies are ready and not a day before.

As for early layers, those primarily bred for the laying industry will be early layers. Obviously, the commercial hen houses aren't interested in feeding adolescents until week 26 waiting for eggs to come. Thus, the commercial leghorns start relatively early for the white egg industry. In the brown egg industry, the Red Sex Links have been bred specifically with early laying in mind. I've had a couple different strains and both began laying early, with the ISAs beginning at 16 weeks.

 

[SowdersHomestead]

Is the Golden Buff / Golden Comet / Golden Sex Link / Cinnamon Queen / Red Star an ISA breed? The pics I see online tell me yes. Will I need to call the hatchery to confirm if their strain is an ISA strain?

Thanks

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
The ISA Brown is patented, so I doubt the various sex links you referred to are truly ISAs. However, it most likely they are indeed commercial strains of Red Sex links outstanding layers of brown eggs.

Hatcheries are notoriously tight lipped about the make up of their sex links. They dismiss such things with statements such as "A Rhode Island Red rooster over a Delaware Hen" which is unlikely, as neither the roo nor the hen used were likely pure bred. I've seen Red Sex Links described as Rhode Island Red over White Rock hen, which would produce a huge bird as offspring, if it were true, yet the resultant RSL are light weight layers. The laying genetics industry has selectively bred top laying hybrids for years.
http://www.isapoultry.com/en/Products/ISA/ISA Brown.aspx

The ISA Brown is actually a 4 way cross hybrid, btw.

 

[SowdersHomestead]

Are there any hatcheries selling the ISA Brown's? Are they even for sale to the public?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Townline Hatchery, Zeeland MI

I do not know if there are other licensed sellers or not.

 

[SowdersHomestead]

Thanks!!!