Topic of the Week - Let's talk about eggs

[OnnieMae]

See the tiny cream colored Brown Leghorn egg in my carton of brown colored ISA Browns eggs? Is this normal? I have two like this so far.

 

[RennaeHanson]

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This week I'd like to talk about the reason 99% of chicken keepers get chickens: Eggs. There are so many different aspects to eggs that we can chat about, I'm going to throw a few ideas and questions out here to get things started and you all can add yours. Here goes...

- Which breeds or types of chickens are good egg layers?
- How do you get the best production from your layers?
- At what ages did you get the first eggs from your pullets?
- What do you do with your extra eggs? (Yes… I know it's winter for most of us at the moment and that's only a dream but...

)
- Eggs of different colors - Which breeds lay which color eggs?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

- Which breeds or types of chickens are good egg layers?
I'll leave most of this for others that have experience with other chicken breeds. I have Amberlink, a couple Bardrocks and Buckeye chickens and they have all been good and consistent layers. I have 9 hens that are about a year and a half and 3 that are about 6 months that just started laying eggs. With my older hens I was getting between 8 - 9 eggs per day and then they started molting and it went down to 3 to 4 eggs per day. I just recently started getting between 6 and 7 eggs per day again; hopefully this will pick up a little more as they get through their molting stage.
- How do you get the best production from your layers?
I don't do anything special to encourage egg laying, I let nature take its course and just try to make sure they are getting good quality organic feed, fresh veggies, fruits, worms, scratch, and of course they have access to grit and whatever is on the ground.
- At what ages did you get the first eggs from your pullets?
Mine have all been pretty consistent and started laying between 6 and 7 months.
- What do you do with your extra eggs? (Yes… I know it's winter for most of us at the moment and that's only a dream but...

)
I sell them, I have regular customers that will always buy anything extra that I have available.
- Eggs of different colors - Which breeds lay which color eggs?
Other posters have done a marvelous job with this one. My chickens lay some tan eggs but mostly I get beautiful brown eggs of varying shades.