Some one help me make the right choice?

[ChickieBooBoo]

I would go for the younger ones, they will lay more eggs and for a bit longer then the older ones.

 

[cmom]

Most younger chickens lay an egg a day or 5 eggs a week skipping a couple of days during the week and some will lay 6 eggs a week and only take one day off a week. Older birds may give you 1 to 3 eggs per week. Hybrids birds lay well their first year to 1½ yrs old then slow down but they are very good layers.

 

[Johnn]

its really hard to decide all i want off them is 3 eggs a week

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

With three year old heritage hens... 3 eggs a week will be the most. I'd say your looking more around the 2 egg range with the odd hen laying 3 a week.

 

[Johnn]

what does heritige mean?

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I hen that isn't a commercial breed. A commercial breed would be a sex-link, ISA Brown, White Leghorn and a heritage breed would be a Plymouth Rock, Orpington, Wyandotte etc. Commercial breeds are bred for eggs (or meat) while heritage breeds are bred for both. Commercial breeds generally lay better then heritage breeds.

Edited to add that heritage breeds are older breeds from back in the day and commercial breeds were bred much more recently.

 

[Johnn]

well they are the same type as the ones that go in battery houses

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Then by 2-3 years old you'd be looking at 2-3 eggs per week. Battery hens (which are commercial hens) lay a lot at first but then really slow down once they start aging. Heritage hens don't lay as many up front but continue laying for a longer period of time.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Are you in Europe? If so, or if you are elsewhere from North America, your breeds and performance may differ greatly from what we have here.

 

[Johnn]

I think i will get them but i probableys wont if they are 3 or over

and im from the UK