I've raised all kinds of hens in the past. According to a lot of written information, I decided on RIR's and Buff Orpingtons as my current layer flock. I have 14, seven of each breed. I bought them in May of '08 and they never even laid an egg until they were 10 months old. From March of this year until the next to last week in May, we averaged 13 eggs per day. Since then we get only 7 at most and 5 on the low end per day. All they want to do is sit on empty nests. Never seen so many hens want to go broody. All of them are about to go in the stew pot--cost too flippin' much to just feed 'em. It will be all hybrids from now on!
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