Most productive over natural life

[pips&peeps]

If you want a bird that lays longer than the 2 years I do recommend easter eggers. I have found that they can be very regular layers for about five years.

My black and blue lines of ameraucanas are very good layers also. They lay well in the winter and when it is hot, just not when they molt.

I just don't know how long they lay at this point as I usually don't keep them over three years.

I have a friend with a production type facility whom has lots of my ameraucanas mixed with production birds and she was getting three ameraucana eggs to her 1 production bird egg in the heat this summer.

 

[speckledhen]

That's something I was pondering myself. I've seen hybrid vigor firsthand when chicks from my Blue Orpington roo ovr my Buff Brahma hen would kick their way out of their shells before any other chicks in the bator. Everyone commented how tough and strong Caroline's chicks were. The rooster is from eggs I hatched from breeder stock and the Brahma is a hatchery bird. I can't say how long their daughters will lay because I have only one of them and she is just about a year and a half old now.
The modern day sexlinks from hatcheries are crosses of other hatchery stock, so I wonder if that has anything to do with the burnout factor. I really dont know and would love to hear why they would burn out at two years old. I think probably it's just the high egg production, no natural breaks for going broody, etc, and I think that wears them down quickly whether they are purebred or crosses.

Jean, my Blue Ameraucana hen is one of my very best layers and her daughter is right behind her in that respect.

 

[chickbea]

My oldest hen ever was 11, and she still laid. However, in the last 5 years or so of her life she would lay in clutches, then nothing for several weeks, then another clutch where she laid every day for a couple of weeks, and then nothing again...
...and she would take the whole winter off, no matter how much light I added.

Ooops - I meant to say that she was an Australorp.

 

[speckledhen]

I wanted to add that I will never put extra light on them again like I did their first winter. It keeps them going full-tilt when their bodies would naturally slow down or stop, depending on the bird. I've had three birds die from internal laying, all three hatchery birds just over two years old, from the same shipment.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

matt y. :

Thanks guys for the replies. So far I am doing good. I have a pair of orpingtons, an RIR and a wyandotte. Perhaps I would do best in picking between the three. Although my wife phoned today to tell me the buff orp rooster chased her to the house. (strike 2, he already cut my niece)

I do have another question to add though. In pigeons, crossbreds show hybird vigor and tend to be more fertile, healthier and better parents than the stagnant purebreds. Does hybrid vigor in chickens go so overboard that the hens become "overproductive"? I for sure do not want hens that burn out due to overproduction. To me slow and steady wins the race.

Do a search on here to see how to remove a rooster's spurs. Tell your wife not to run away from him (after the spurs are removed!!). Just ignore him. If he trys to spur her again, I recommend retaliation from your wife!! If that doesn't work...the stewpot!​

 

[wyliefarms]

Our best long term layers have been the EE hens. My MIL has 3 hens that are 16 years old and occasionally they still have an egg or two!

 

[ThiefPouter06]

I was thinking about the Hatchery comments at work. Could it be that hatcheries as a whole breed for quantity. As long as their breeders pump out eggs they still make money regardless off how well or good. I guess it also depends on how often they update their flocks with new blood as well. I guess all the reasons why breeders stock is best is they add new blood from time to time and keep records of the quality produced.

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Well, my oldest is seven this year. She is a hatchery Jersey Giant so isn't a real Giant by some of you members. Right behind her are what's left of my Red Stars from 6 years ago.

All are still laying nice eggs. Two of the three remaining Red Stars have been broody, one is sitting rigth now and this will be her first batch of chicks if they hatch. My old fake Giant raises brood after brood every year for me and is doing all of my Araucana chicks.

The rest of my fake Giants, from the same hatchery but from last year are rather broody as well. Huh? Them being fake and all, what nerve they have...

I have 50 red Star pullets coming in early October. The Red Stars have been the most mildest and quietest chickens I have ever had.

 

[speckledhen]

I am thrilled for you, having them that long. No one said they were fake, just bred for artificially high production. However, of late, yours seem to be an exception. And a good exception at that. Which hatchery did they come from?

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Hi Cynthia,

They are all from McMurray. I'm being sarcastic too, I know they aren't breeder quality and not show quality but another breed I am working on has been VERY difficult to even get decent birds from breeders. All you get are culls. So one must take these culls and try and make something of them. Hard work!

A few months ago I placed a 'wanted' ad on another site looking for a quality black giant cock or cockerel. Guess what? Not a single reply came! I ordered two fake giants from McMurray with my broiler order and they sent three of them.

My focus has changed a bit for layers. I am moving back into the red stars for sales/production and marans and true araucanas. I do sell eggs commercially. I like switching things up periodically. My old hens will stay though. They are exceptionally reliable!