Need some advise for breeds.

[teaton]

So I agree they can have a productive 3rd year. That's why I was thinking of selling my second year hens before they molt so new owners could get a good lay season still. And I would disclose true age and such, I'm not trying to rip anybody off like I've seen so many times.

Oh yes, I too have made that mistake, bought 1-2 year old hens that were more like 4 or 5 lol its sad that you cant trust most people anymore! I either hatch my own or buy chicks now..

 

[GardenWren]

@teaton If you're looking for BA hatching eggs, I'll have more than I'll know what to do with in a couple months, but for right now, since I recently moved them into a different pen, only 2 are laying semi-reliably. I'd be more than happy to float you a few to get you started with them if you'd like. Send me a pm if you're interested.

 

[teaton]

Pm sent

 

[ChippieChicken]

Nutrena Nature Wise makes a "Feather Fixer" that is good for molting birds. I gave it to mine this year, and those birds that were not long into their molt when they started eating it did recover faster than the girls who had started molting earlier and were still eating layer food for the first half of their molt. Though light/weather was surely a factor, too.

@teaton , have you looked into Naked Necks for your DP birds? I keep mine just for eggs, which they lay plenty of (though maybe not as much as RIR), but I've heard people rave about the quality of their meat, especially the juiciness. Not sure if you have to have the Cou Nu/Poulet Rouge variety if you want to use them for meat, maybe someone with more experience in that department could weigh in on that. . . . But I have known them to have amazing temperaments, not to mention being very hardy and having fewer feathers.

 

[bostick18]

I have noticed over the last few years that while on the internet and advice from others say that some of the best layers will lay upwards of 250 eggs a year I have yet to see a chicken consistently do this. I have raised and kept a lot of different breeds and really the only breed I have found to hold it's weight statistically is the leghorns. I take very good care of my birds. Feed them as I'm supposed to. Apple cider vinegar in their water. No mites or worms. They have at least 1600sq ft of grasses run and a beautiful 10x10 coop for around 20 hens of various breeds.
I believe the average backyard egg keeper must lower their standards with egg collection. Keep your birds that are under 3 yrs old and be grateful for the eggs your get. That is why we backyard chickeners began this poultry journey. Eggs and company. if you can get 2 or 3 eggs a week for each chicken I would consider that a job well done. We want happy healthy chickens that give our families healthy home grown food and a small education for our children on where food comes from. Happy healthy chickens don't lay an egg every day. Those kept in cages with their world micromanaged do. We love our birds or we wouldn't be on this site.
Your aren't doing anything wrong with your chickens to be causing them to lay less than you believe they should. Their egg production does not correlate with their health or happiness. If anything I've seen the opposite. Otherwise how can you explain leghorns laying 300 eggs a year in 18x18 cage compared to the same bird laying 150 in a healthy homesteaders backyard.

 

[bostick18]

As far as the best layers I have been around.. The white leghorn and the black sex link. While Rhode island reds lay well I have had some that a very mean. Leghorns production falls off drastically after their first year but will still lay 2 eggs a week and they are huge eggs. Black sex links I find to be consistent layers of 3 eggs a week. Good luck and the best chickens for you are the ones you like to be around

 

[bostick18]

I forgot about American bresse. Great layers almost everyday for periods of time but continue to lay after two years old almost as well as their first year and are famed for their flesh. Good luck

 

[Beekissed]

I've had many a breed, and chickens, that lay 5-7 eggs per week, particularly BAs, with a little break for molting or winter and they can carry that on for years. I don't know that I'd settle for 2-3 eggs per week when it takes the same feed to feed that chicken than it does to feed a chicken laying more frequently. And, no, that kind of laying doesn't just happen in commercial egg setups.

Quote:
A Plymouth White Rock hen broke similar laying records in the 1900s. There's nothing wrong in expecting and breeding for excellent laying in chickens....a good layer is a healthy bird doing what healthy birds do. Most of my poor layers of any breed were those that had latent health issues or were just genetically inferior layers. These are generally culled from the flock...who wants to pass along these traits when you can feed happy, healthy chickens that actually do lay frequently?

 

[bostick18]

And how long would you say your winter and molt breaks last

 

[Beekissed]

And how long would you say your winter and molt breaks last

That varies from bird to bird and season to season. There is no absolute when it comes to chickens nor breeds. Of them all, the BAs take the shortest breaks and they even will lay in the middle of molting and during taking a break from their regular production...rarely do they stop altogether for long unless they are getting up there in years.