looking for new breeds

[WindingRoad]

i have a flock of bantams and i am looking for some new breeds (preferably large fowl) that are better layers. right now im just looking for some different breeds before the chicks are back in stock at the feed stores. what do you recomend, and what experiences do you have with these breeds?

edit- photos would be great to help me decide

If you want big, beautiful white eggs you can't go wrong with White LegHorns. Mine have been laying straight from early April.

 

[ChickForLife]

How about something laced like a wyandotte?

 

[chickenhappy1233]

Almost every day before taking a deserved day off

thats better than any of mine lay. surprisingly my oegb has been the best overall layer.

 

[chickenhappy1233]

How about something laced like a wyandotte?

havent thought of those yet, i know they are pretty good layers. ill have to look into those

 

[WindingRoad]

i have definitely been considering leghorns, they are on the smaller side so they would fit in nicely with my bantam flock

They will surprise you with the size of their eggs compared to their body size, I have one I call Little Bit. I bet she doesn't weight more than 3-4 pounds. I got her last September "19 and she was laying then.

 

[ChickForLife]

havent thought of those yet, i know they are pretty good layers. ill have to look into those

They are very pretty to!

 

[ChickForLife]

Sessex are great layer too and are very pretty, even though you may not be looking for pretty.

 

[chickenhappy1233]

They are very pretty to!

they definitely are pretty

 

[ChickForLife]

they definitely are pretty

Yes, they lay about 250 eggs a year and are fairly broody.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If Eggs are what you want, and you aren't picky, I'm going to recommend the crossbreed Golden "Comets". Moderately small birds, 3.5 - 5.5#, sex link so you will buy only hens, early layers (between week 16 and 20). Large eggs, medium brown in color, almost every day.

Sadly, pumping that many large eggs out, that soon, with a relatively small frame mean these are associated with relatively short productive spans - around 2 years - and total lifespans (around 4 years) as well.

Mine came from Hoover Hatchery by way of TSC. There's some dispute about the genetics (because of course there is!) and whether its a cross of New Hampshire and a White Rock, or a Rhode Island and a Leghorn, but in any event, its a red sex link, so you won't accidentally end up with cockerels, even if you buy from TSC, and they are available from plenty of other hatcheries besides, if you like Cackle Hatchery for instance.

This is one of the "breeds" used for commercial egg laying, there's no broodiness in the genes. If mine could walk and drop an egg at the same time, they'd give it no more attention than a quiet fart.