looking for new breeds

[docteurshepherd]

I've had speckled sussex, they're nice. Rhode island reds are a classic, and great layers. Right now I have salmon faverolles, they were bred for their winter hardiness, and that they lay through winter better than other breeds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've had speckled sussex, they're nice. Rhode island reds are a classic, and great layers. Right now I have salmon faverolles, they were bred for their winter hardiness, and that they lay through winter better than other breeds.

Brahma are another good winter layer, but they grow more slowly than faverolles or sussex, and lay fewer eggs as well. Cute fluff balls, but probably not a good recommend for the OP - though I love mine.

 

[docteurshepherd]

Brahma are another good winter layer, but they grow more slowly than faverolles or sussex, and lay fewer eggs as well. Cute fluff balls, but probably not a good recommend for the OP - though I love mine.

I've heard a lot about brahmas, they seem to be popular. I don't recall ever having them though. Not sure they're really my thing, I just love the coloring the salmon faverolles have, and the speckled sussex I went with too for the same reasoning. Not only their markings of course, wanted a good balance of what I wanted in a chicken and the cuteness haha

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I love my Brahma, they are hands down my smartest birds, and they are helping to provide eggs thru the winter when many of my others aren't pulling their weight as layers - but if you were to look at my Long Term Project [Lemonade], you'd see I was set on breeding out most of the Brahma traits as not well suited to my property and needs.

So I'm very cautious in recommending them to others. they are definitely not suitable for @chickenhappy1233's purposes - I mentioned them more to eliminate them from consideration.

 

[BantammChick]

Barred Rocks are good layers, as well as leghorns. (I don't have a leghorn pic right now)

 

[halefamily_flock]

Not sure if you're looking for different colored eggs, but I've had good luck with my Speckled Sussex & Dominique hens for light brown eggs. Welsummers (Dark Brown) & Olive Eggers (Olive Green) have been surprising at how productive they have been with beautiful colored eggs. I expected Welsummers to be my only breed to stop laying in the winter, but they haven't missed a beat so far, while the rest of my flock is molting and stopped laying. My Olive Eggers (half Welsummer) have been rock stars as well, while my Cream Legbar girls (the other half of the Olive Egger, have been relatively low production of beautiful blue eggs. They all came from Cackle Hatchery so you can see photos there...

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/dominique-chicken/
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/welsummers/
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/olive-egger-chicken/
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/speckled-sussex/

Last year, my Dominiques layed all winter, so I'm sure the current lull in egg production is due to molting. I have one Dominique who has continued to lay through her entire 18 months molt, which is pretty remarkable. The other breeds are new to me this year, so I'm hoping they resume laying soon, as they get their feathers back in.

 

[black_cat]

LEGHORNS. Best ever layers, hardly ever ill, massive eggs but feed-efficient.

Woooooo! Leghorns all the way!!!!

And a bonus pic of her eggs in an egg lineup.....the big one was a double yolk!

She lays every day.

 

[chickenhappy1233]

i think i have decided on some leghorns or barred rocks, they will lay well and be fairly cold hardy. i will update when i get them

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I agree with the calico princess and my hen looks very similar to @JacinLarkwell My hen doesn't have a lot of meat spots though. She started laying fairly early and is a reliable layer of a light brown egg.
For colored eggs, my Starlight Green Egger (Hoover's) is a very reliable layer and lays a beautiful green egg. She's a Petite large fowl with buff plumage with white down. Everyone that gets eggs from me, always comments on how much they like her eggs. They're always beautiful on the inside and out.