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

[Chicalina]

No problem. We are all biased about our favourite breeds! Here is my hen of that breed and today's egg. She lays the same size egg as my huge LF buff orpingtons did. Personally I think the polish are better layers and they go broody much less often, but their crazy moptops and kooky personalities aren't for everyone!

 

[msiler]

No problem. We are all biased about our favourite breeds! Here is my hen of that breed and today's egg. She lays the same size egg as my huge LF buff orpingtons did. Personally I think the polish are better layers and they go broody much less often, but their crazy moptops and kooky personalities aren't for everyone!

View attachment 2304355
View attachment 2304367

Crazy mop tops are welcome here We love our Silkies! I went ahead and made a large fowl order an hour ago or so, no bantams available at all!!! Once the feed stores open back up with chicks in the spring, I’m never able to resist the bantam assortments so we will see!

For anyone who is interested...
2 Ameracaunas
2 White Rocks
2 Delawares
1 Silver Spangled Hamburg (couldn’t resist!)
1 Whitw LH
1 Silver LH
3 Rose Comb Brown LH
and....
15 Brown Egg Layers
and....
1 Free Mystery Chick

Things are selling out quickly so I missed out of the Biefelders and Rhode Island Reds I had in the cart....but I think we still got a great personal assortment and we are going to have a ton of eggs! The 15 Brown Egg Layers will be rehomed once they get here so we could avoid the small box fee. If they have any breeds in there we wanted we might swap them out though Anyone in Bend, OR interested?!

 

[NatJ]

They will have a coop with a heat lamp at the very least, potentially a covered run. Mostly free range.

Covered run: very good idea.
Heat lamp: skip it. It's not needed. (And if they knock it down into the bedding, it starts a fire and burns down the coop.)

(Yes, you need a heat source to brood chicks. But once they are 1-2 months old, they do not need it anymore. Not even in winter, at the temperatures you named.)

Breeds:
I suggest you get one each of a bunch of different breeds, instead of trying to fine the best few. White Leghorn vs. Brown Leghorn? Wyandotte vs. Sexlink vs. Sussex? 1 of each!

It's fun to be able to tell your hens apart, and as you can see--people have different personal preferences. This will give you a better chance to figure out your own preferences. Also, the "best" breed depends partly on climate and on how you raise them, so trying a bunch of breeds will show you which ones do well in your situation.

Edit: you placed your order before I posted that, but I see you did almost what I was suggesting anyway.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

Crazy mop tops are welcome here We love our Silkies! I went ahead and made a large fowl order an hour ago or so, no bantams available at all!!! Once the feed stores open back up with chicks in the spring, I’m never able to resist the bantam assortments so we will see!

For anyone who is interested...
2 Ameracaunas
2 White Rocks
2 Delawares
1 Silver Spangled Hamburg (couldn’t resist!)
1 Whitw LH
1 Silver LH
3 Rose Comb Brown LH
and....
15 Brown Egg Layers
and....
1 Free Mystery Chick

Things are selling out quickly so I missed out of the Biefelders and Rhode Island Reds I had in the cart....but I think we still got a great personal assortment and we are going to have a ton of eggs! The 15 Brown Egg Layers will be rehomed once they get here so we could avoid the small box fee. If they have any breeds in there we wanted we might swap them out though Anyone in Bend, OR interested?!

I love the breed choices! You're going to enjoy them!

 

[Chicalina]

What a fab mixed flock! I wouldnt have been able to resist the Hamburg either, or a Sebright just because they are so beautiful!

I've hankered after Vorwerks for a long time, and more recently Deathlayers. Now why didn't I suggest those to you!! Doh.

One day when I win the lottery and buy some LAND I will have one of everything!!!

 

[msiler]

Edit: you placed your order before I posted that, but I see you did almost what I was suggesting anyway.

Yes, I did! Great suggestions I originally was drawn to the uniform looking flock because all my previous ones have been mixed, but when in doubt with chicken breeds I always just take them both! (Or all... we all know how that goes!)

 

[NH_Chicks_And_Guineas]

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

New Hampshire Reds. They are big, hardy and lay in the winter. Super friendly.

 

[chickencoop57]

For good egg production go with White leghorns and California Whites, which is just a lil bigger than a Leghorn. You can order them on-line thru Tractor Supply.

 

[slowloris]

Isa browns, in my experience will give you the most eggs. Large and brown.