Pick my Egg Laying Breed! (And a Rooster too!)

[chickenlittle21]

How many eggs a week do you think your leghorn lays??

My brown leghorn lays around 6 eggs a week

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

True. The roos are usually quite aggressive though.

Only RIR roo I ever met was eight weeks old, so I can’t speak from experience.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

How many eggs a week do you think your leghorn lays??

Mine lay for three weeks, take a day off, and repeat.

 

[CHlCKEN]

It's that game!
I am looking for the best laying flock and a rooster for them... with these restrictions:

The Girls
-Cold Hardy
Weather Temps can drop down to the teens at night at the coldest, day time is right around freezing.
They will have a coop with a heat lamp at the very least, potentially a covered run. Mostly free range.

- Strong Free Range Ability
I would like about half the flock to be somewhat flighty and good free ranging birds to help teach the other birds to free range and react when the others might not!

-Great Egg Production
Of course, what everyone looks for! Prefer 250+ eggs a year


BONUS!
-Winter Egg Production
-Not aggressive to other species of birds


Rooster
Eggs will not be hatched out, I don't care the breed! It can be different than the girls or it could be the same, it could even be a male Sex Link for all I care!

-Cold Hardy

-Protective of the girls (of course !)

-Not aggressive to people

Great! I love helping people choose breeds and I of course HAVE to suggest the Speckled Sussex! My girl has always alerted me when something is wrong, coming to the back door and pecked on the glass when they were out of food and when a predator had come and taken 8 of my girls she is also very friendly and loves to be picked up, she also is a great layer she is also cold hardy and seals with our extreme heat very well. She used to lay 250 eggs a year until she got sick and stopped laying (she was sick from not having enough calcium and had a soft shelled egg break) she is a great free ranger and is very predator alert, she is my only hen quick enough to catch lizards skinks and frogs! I just love this bird so much and I really think you should consider this breed

 

[chickenlittle21]

Great! I love helping people choose breeds and I of course HAVE to suggest the Speckled Sussex! My girl has always alerted me when something is wrong, coming to the back door and pecked on the glass when they were out of food and when a predator had come and taken 8 of my girls ❤ she is also very friendly and loves to be picked up, she also is a great layer she is also cold hardy and seals with our extreme heat very well. She used to lay 250 eggs a year until she got sick and stopped laying (she was sick from not having enough calcium and had a soft shelled egg break) she is a great free ranger and is very predator alert, she is my only hen quick enough to catch lizards skinks and frogs! I just love this bird so much and I really think you should consider this breed ❤

I forgot about speckled sussex! I recommend them too!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I forgot about speckled sussex! I recommend them too!

Same here. Mine is just plain pretty. Flighty, but she makes up for it.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

I have Biels as well, and am loving them! I can't yet attest to their cold hardiness (because they were born this year) or their egg laying (because they just started) but I LOVE how friendly they are! I'll sit on a bucket or chair and the girls will jump up on my arms, chat with me, and jump back down and go on with their business. And they are autosexing, so you can tell pullets from cockerels from day 1!

I’ve had Bielefelders for a few years now, and they do great in the winter. My rooster once got a little frostbite on his comb, but it was mild.
I highly recommend Bielefelders. The roosters are protective of the hens, but respectful towards people. The hens are so sweet, and lay well too. Their coloration makes for good camouflage as well.

Leghorns are INCREDIBLY predator aware. I’ve had Leghorn pullets that spent the night out side, and every time they were waiting in front of the coop door the next morning.

I know hatcheries are pretty sold out right now, but Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Australorps, Cukoo Marans, and Easter Eggers are all cold hardy, and pretty good free rangers.

 

[Sammy1122]

Every chicken has its own temperament but alotta breeds have similar characteristics and alotta breeds are well known for certain characteristics.I would scratch Rhode Island reds,their often aggressive(escpecially males) but lay good.The best bird I think for beginners are Orpingtons.Lavender or Buff,pretty consist with laying and great personality not overly aggressive and friendly.The males are good too from what I hear.Easter Eggers (and Americanas),are often flighty and I have not had much good luck with them.Americanas so far have had about the same temperament as an Easter egger,and even with me hand feeding birds they still grow up nuts,almost impossible to get them to calm.The last two roosters I had (Americana and Easter egger)Were both good for the hens but were bat crazy.The rooster I have now is an Americana and is very laid back and not nearly as hype as my last two.My Easter egger hen is crazy/bipolar.One minute she’s in my lap eating out my hand,next she’s running and keeping her distance from me.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Same here. Mine is just plain pretty. Flighty, but she makes up for it.View attachment 2302950

This is my speckled sussex:

Her name is clover and she is friendly, overly curious, and of course, pretty.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

This is my speckled sussex:
View attachment 2302996
Her name is clover and she is friendly, overly curious, and of course, pretty.

I love her!
Even though the white earlobes are a fault, I love them.