Statistically, What is the Best Brown Egg Layer, excluding sexlinks.

[jmc]

Quote:
I think you'll find that Production Reds aren't really a breed and probably have some connection to "massice international business".

That having been said, if I were to start a flock for purely egg producing purposes, think I would select Golden Comets or similar. I would, too; but not if i wanna breed em and get more of the same. I think there are a sex-link, RIR type. There are other names like Cinnamon Queen.

 

[jmc]

Fred and Merv: man are we on the same page.

and to other contributors, many thanks!

i may very well go with some 'Comet' types as a rotation, but keep a stable flock of prod rir for breeding.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The Red hens of whatever derivation are indeed the better layers. They aren't the Dual Purpose birds that other strains that have bigger bodies are. Check the adult expected weight of each hatchery strain, when shopping. 5.5 lbs? 6.5 lbs? THAT is a larger bird, who will simply eat more to sustain that body type. 4 to 4.5 lbs? That is a lighter bird whose 20% lower body weight equates to 20% less feed intake, roughly.

It is difficult having a Swiss Army Knife approach. Those knives are kinda cool, but while trying to do a lot of things, they end up not doing anything particularly well.

Americans tend to like considerable white breast meat. Difficult to get that off any DP bird, that is also a 280+ egg layer. Really tough to do.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Also to the OP, if you get RIR's and Barred rocks, you could create your own black sex links by crossing the RIR rooster with a Barred Rock hen. At hatch, males will have a white dot on their head, females will not.

 

[BUMPKIN]

jmc,
Here's my 2 cents. I have the heritage rir, they are an ok layer. Out of 15 BA, they didn't really lay worth a flip and all last summer I averaged 6 of them at a time STAYING broody, therefore no eggs from them. Very few eggs this winter, as soon as I can make me, they will be donated to somebody who eats lazy chickens. On the other hand my 12 BR laid all summer and still laid 6 to 9 a day all winter. Needless to say I'm sticking with my BR, but I would like to try the RIW and the WR. All of my chickens with the exception of W/BW and B/B/S Ameraucanas and Welsummers are hatchery stock.
Going to get rid of W, too . Extremely poor layers, pretty when they do, but as you know feed is too expensive for no return other than esthetics. and so, just my opinions.

Marilyn

 

[6chicks&aduck]

My two hens a prod. rir and a "golden comet" have layed everyday even in -20 weather ! my other six sometimes skip a day or two and my 2pullets are not old enough

 

[Celtic Hill]

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jeeze i didn't expect this thread to blow up! lol

Happy Chooks, you hit it on the nose, I was looking to have a pure bred flock of hatchery birds as i don't plan on showing this flock, and put in some buff orps from my show line to create sex link chicks. To sell the pullets and keep the cockerels for butchering. That is why i was asking what breed that isn't a sexlink, is the second best brown egg layer.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
I would, too; but not if i wanna breed em and get more of the same.

You might not get offspring with exactly the same coloring (though I expect it would be pretty close), but you should get offspring with similar laying ability. If you don't mind if the colors shifts a little, I wouldn't seem like a problem to me -- in fact, I think I'd like the slight variations in color.