Officially-Who are the best layers?

[Zenbirder]

My RIR and Barred Rocks are all excellent layers, even in winter. The only steady times off have been molt, and it seems to hit the BR much more than the RIR. I have not had a RIR go broody, and only one BR.

I will put in a nice word about EE egg production, awesome! My EE girls are not far behind the RIR! The other really nice benefit to EE eggs is being able to tell exactly who is laying easily because the eggs are so distinctive in color/shape to each hen.

The A-lorps are still chicks, but I have read such nice things about them that I had to add some to my flock. I also added more EEs this year. Love the BO for being beautiful but they don't match the others for eggs and my Emily BO just loves to go broody. The plus on her is she is so big in the butt that when I finally give her some eggs to set she could cover a LOT of them!

 

[KattyKillFish]

Quote:
I agree, EEs are also really great producers. they're cute too, both the hens and the eggs

 

[Davaroo]

And for those who have never visited it, Hendersons offers what just may be the definitive breed selection chart available.

According to Henderson, for sheer number of eggs lain, here are the ones to beat:

Ameracauna - nifty blue eggs.
Ancona*
Australorp
Catalana*
Delaware
Favarolles
Fayoumi
Hamburg
Leghorn* - Tied with RIR as the best.
New Hampshire
Pendescensa* - said to be "very, very rare"
Rhode Island Red
Sussex

* Mediterranean breeds. Notice that four of the top layers, including the Leghorn, are in this class.===============================================
And here is Hendersons chart, for those so inclined:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html#m

 

[Cara]

To add another dimension, i've found EEs to be the worst for egg eating. Who knows how many they actually lay

 

[JennsPeeps]

I'm getting about 5/week each from my BSL and RIR. When my BR (RIP, Dumpling!) was laying, she had large, beautiful eggs. Great personality, too.

In my brooder (and making attempts to get to my lap) are a BO & Australorp chicks. The personalities are friendly and sweet. Looking forward to lots of eggs this fall.

 

[Davaroo]

When we are talking about egg laying, we are talking utility. While the Leghorn is the King of Egg Laying, it falls a bit short in other regards.

SO it is noteworthy that little has been said about true dual purpose birds. Some people call them 'heavies', or other such names, although that is not technically correct.

So what is a "dual purpose" chicken? Of course, I mean the good old fashioned barnyard fowl like RIR's, Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, Brahma's and so on.

Bred to be good at both egg laying and providing worthwhile quantities of meat, they have been a standard for a century and a half. They are one of the few times in human history when compromise turns out to be a good thing.

And given careful, focused selection and good breeding practice, they can become top layers in their own right. Thats exactly how the RIR and Australorp came into being., in fact.
And they carry their good traits with their line as you breed them out. Hybrids are notoriously faulty in this regard.

I would, in fact, recommend one of the "Big 5" before any other, simply for their proven track record. SO what are the "The Big 5?"

- RIR - this includes it's close cousin, the New Hampshre Red.
- Plymouth Rock
- Wyandotte
- Brahma
- Orpington - the Australorp fits in this group.

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Yes, that is what I was trying to get at. I have no idea how large Superman's run is, but the coop is too small even just for roosting.

Cramped birds = sick birds. Disease will spread more quickly, and picking will frequently occur.

Quote:
Battery hens produce well, are they happy?

You'd have a hard time convincing me that chickens experience anything like human happiness. There is a tendency here for many to anthropomorphize chickens.
They're chickens. If they are laying well they're fine. If they weren't fine they wouldn't be laying.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Yes, that is what I was trying to get at. I have no idea how large Superman's run is, but the coop is too small even just for roosting.

Cramped birds = sick birds. Disease will spread more quickly, and picking will frequently occur.

Quote:
Battery hens produce well, are they happy?

You'd have a hard time convincing me that chickens experience anything like human happiness. There is a tendency here for many to anthropomorphize chickens.
They're chickens. If they are laying well they're fine. If they weren't fine they wouldn't be laying.

Oooooh, gonna start the personification debate, are you?
Been there done that.

I'm a "chickens are livestock," man myself. But BYC is popluated with all sorts of... shall we say... "warm and fuzzy" critter people, folks who take real umbrage at the notion that chickens are merely chickens.

Instead of hi-jacking this thread, may I suggest you start another one, titled "Chickens are NOT people."

I really enjoy that particular debate.

 

[KattyKillFish]

Quote:
Yes, that is what I was trying to get at. I have no idea how large Superman's run is, but the coop is too small even just for roosting.

Cramped birds = sick birds. Disease will spread more quickly, and picking will frequently occur.


Battery hens produce well, are they happy?

You'd have a hard time convincing me that chickens experience anything like human happiness. There is a tendency here for many to anthropomorphize chickens.
They're chickens. If they are laying well they're fine. If they weren't fine they wouldn't be laying.

Oooooh, gonna start the personification debate, are you?
Been there done that.

I'm a "chickens are livestock," man myself. But BYC is popluated with all sorts of... shall we say... "warm and fuzzy" critter people, folks who take real umbrage at the notion that chickens are merely chickens.

Instead of hi-jacking this thread, may I suggest you start another one, titled "Chickens are NOT people."

I really enjoy that particular debate.

i agree %100. we MUST leave the discussion on what birds are good layers. on that note, i didn't know fayoumis were good layers! that's very good, i ordered some just because i like them. i was also thinking of getting some white leghorns. are brown leghorns just as good? in complete honesty, i like the brown leghorns better but i've only had BL roos.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

Just from experience of chickens I have owned and the best layers top to bottom.

Red Sex Link-Only have one, she even lays when she is moulting. One egg every day for a year so far, on occasion she lays two.

Leghorn X Buff Orp cross- like the leghorn but, calm as a cucumber. Can become a little broody. Lays one egg per day, sometimes two. I hatched out 4 for curiosity and really like them.

RIR-Pretty Consistent, Miss a few days here and there.

Leghorns-Do well if you leave them alone, if they get freaked out they hang it up for a few days. IMO too nervous for a barnyard, factory birds all the way.