new pullets

[sbrown]

Well, hated to , but I went ahead and sold all my older hens. Had to make room the new ones. They were all 4 years plus so I figured their best laying days were behind them. Moved my latest batch from the chick house. 2 Silver laced Wyandottes, 5 black australorp and 4 mixed RIR and Ameraucana. Plus I got barred rock chicks and dominiques hatching today.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Sounds like a nice colorful mix. Do you plan on keeping and roosters you hatch? If you breed them I think chicks should all come out all/mostly barred with some bleeding in them, happens when Barred roo is bred to other birds. How old are your older birds? Any idea on 1st egg day?

 

[sbrown]

I have one EE adult rooster and one nice young black copper marans rooster. Would like some Marans hens. Marans breed to the australorp would probably make a nice laying bird. I imagine some people frown on that. Not saying I plan on doing that but I am more concerned with good birds that lay right now.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Some people may frown on BYM but I don't, technically every bird after the natural game fowl is a BYM of some sort. Or a mutation. My table egg flock is 1/2 mixed mutts, but man they lay.
Everyone has their preference to what lays the best. Every bird is different though. I have had some that lay close to 200 eggs but different bird same breed same flock is a 50 egg/year layer. Same can be said of almost any trait poultry have. Broody, aggressive molt qualities everything..

Production lines are breed for laying, as are some pure breeds. Black sex links and BA have always layed well for me. But that's me in my flock. Heck right now I can count on my 4 CX hens to give me about 2 eggs a day from them. It varies 1-5 (yes 1 day I got 5) but normally 2-3. And they are doing better in breeding pen than the BSL pen and that has 7 hens. Any way you go as long as you and your birds are happy that's what matters.