Next chicken breed to buy

[L Gebhardt]

Almost three years ago we bought 9 Golden Comets at Tractor Supply. They are very nice birds. For about the first year they laid almost an egg a day, then they slowed down. We've lost two of them (one to a stuck egg, and the other to an unknown disease). The remaining 7 are laying an average of just under 2 eggs a day between them.

We're looking to get a few more chickens to increase the egg production a bit. Are there any breeds that lay fewer eggs each week, but lay more consistently for a longer time? Ideally we could get 3 eggs a week per bird for 4 or 5 years. With the first set we ended up giving away half the eggs for the first year. The birds are my daughter's pets, so no chance of eating the slackers which I understand is the normal way of handling unproductive birds.

Also we want to get a breed that will get along with the existing birds. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry

 

[DraigAthar]

I like the breed selection tool at my pet chicken:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

But generally, most any LF heritage breed will get along well, you just have to get past the initial introduction.

As far as steady laying, get any breed that has NOT been bred as a heavy producer. Most of the time, heavy production means heavy the first year and dropping off rapidly after that. All hens will lay the most their first year, and taper off as they age, it's just a matter of how quickly they taper off. I can tell you that my experience with my own breed (Dominiques) has been excellent. They lay steadily, even through the winter many times. But of course, laying characteristics vary between strains even within a breed, so you may have to just experiement and find what works best for you.

 

[L Gebhardt]

Thanks, that's very helpful. The Dominiques look like a nice breed for us. They are certainly pretty. Are you a breeder of them?

 

[DraigAthar]

Yup! This is our third year working with the Dominiques.