Start egg - layer flock

[Blueberrygirl]

I currently have a mixed flock of about 35 white rock, light Brahma & dark cornish plus their offspring that we hatched last summer. I know that it was an extremely cold winter but we had no eggs for more than 3 months & are only getting 8-12 eggs/day now. I'm thinking of selling these hens to the guy down the road and starting over. I'd like advice on the best breed. I'd like a single breed flock that lays a LOT of large brown eggs even through the winter (without supplemental light or heat). I would also like to have 1 roo & hatch our own eggs. I was considering red star or gold star but it appears these are hybrids so I couldn't hatch their eggs. Any suggestions?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Are you looking for heritage or hatchery quality?

Any of the Plymouth Rock are a good layer and fair meat with your extra cockerels that hatch out. For egg size and quantity you can't beat Rhode Island Red. If your in a cold climate they come in a rose comb variety too. Without supplemental lighting you will have decreased laying in winter but both those breeds are known to lay well in winter.

 

[Blueberrygirl]

I thought about both of those but I can't find detailed info on how many eggs to expect. One hatchery said 200-280 & that's a pretty big range. My goals are #1 justify the feed bill by getting eggs through the winter, #2 be able to hatch replacement layers that will breed true. My understanding is that the sex links are more productive but are hybrids. Is that correct? #3 meat birds are a plus but I haven't found a heritage breed wit enough breast meat, so we can always do a quick batch of cornish for meat if we want

 

[prose15]

My (2)Barred Plymouth Rocks and (2)Rhode Island Reds gave me on average three eggs a day during the winter, and now give me four eggs a day. The Barred Rocks also do extremely without supplemental heat or lighting.

 

[GD91]

Unfortunately hybrids are generally the best layers....

The above breeds are both known to be excellent layers. I was considering RIR for my flock, but I'm in a town & they are known for being noisy & boisterous. So I settles for EE's & a Cochin bantam.

You could have a meat flock, a layer flock & keep one or 2 bantams as broodies.

I've got mutts, & I will hatch mutts, but my aim is to breed for birds with medium size, plenty of meat that are good layers & good broodies when they do brood.

Its only to feed myself, dh & 2 dogs

I could see a large bird going to waste on more feed.

And its fun.

With our 4 hens we average 2 - 3 eggs a day. Our cochin's actually been a good layer..... now she's broody.

 

[Mrs. K]

You need less than year old birds that begin to lay in Octoberish and they will lay through the dark days of winter. As they get older, then they molt, and it takes them a bit to get back to laying. Younger birds lay more than older birds..... kinda, sorta..... different breeds lay at different rates.

Being as you have a mixed flock, why not have a few egg laying breeds, and a few dual purpose breeds, and a few meat breeds...... they will all lay eggs, the dual purpose breeds will brood eggs for you, and you can eat the roos. The meat will grow fast if you want the meat all at once. The egg layers will lay the most consistently, so you always have eggs. It is irritating when you have a flock and buy eggs.

Then pick an egg laying roo to cover all of them, if you use breeds that lay different colored eggs, well then you can pick the eggs that you want to hatch out, and put under the dual purpose broody hens. The egg laying breeds generally don't go broody, but you can hatch their eggs.

The other way one can go, is one year hatch white egg laying birds, the next year hatch brown egg laying birds, then your egg basket can tell you who is laying and who should be soup.

Then you keep adding fresh young birds each year, culling older non-productive hens.... this is the theory, however, I have been hit hard with a predator, and in one night got my 4 best layers! UGH!

Mrs K