Very Best Brown egg layers { Not Hybirds }

[Bound to Sea]

My Barred Rocks have been my best layers, by far. My mother has them too with the same experience. 6-7 eggs per day as pullets and 5-6 a day season 2-4 so far, 9 months out of the year. Obviously they slow down before and during molt and mine slow down to the occasional egg during the coldest two months of the year and start to slowly work up from there.

Next in line are my RIR's. 5-7 eggs per week per bird but it does range more than my BR's. They slow down a lot more abruptly in the winter but they ramp up production faster too.

My Australorps are probably about the same as my RIR's or not far off. I only have a few so it is harder to tell and they are in the mixed flock not one of the separates.

My easter eggers are next. 4-5 eggs a week after their pullet years. They slow down to 2-3 per week in the winter but I have NEVER had them stop laying. That is great because for some reason I like their eggs more...lol. I know, that is mental. Sorry, these are not brown eggs and I know you are asking for those but this is where this bird fits in my lineup.

Next to last is my Orpington flock. These ladies were very slow to mature. I got my first egg at 26 weeks and not everyone started laying until about 28 weeks or so. They did lay right through their first winter as per normal with birds that I have raised. They did so by giving me 4-6 eggs per week per bird and like the RIR's there seemed to be more variance here than with some other birds. Now that they are going into their third season and working on their fourth I am getting, on average, 4-5 eggs per week per bird but 4 is more common. They stop laying almost completely from December to February. I get the random egg now and again. But come the first week of March they are right back to 4-5 eggs per week.

I have more breeds on their way to test out over the next 3-4 seasons.

Disclaimer, all of my birds are hatchery quality. Not all of them from the same hatchery. I have mostly cackle birds but I get TSC birds and I have no idea where they come from and I have some from Meyer too.

RIR

 

[Gfp]

what does that even mean? revert back??
They lay more eggs than most pure bred chickens...

I am sorry
I have dislexia really bad so i do not spell that good .
ok
to get a hyberd they use 2 different types of chickens . what i have read is that if you breed 2 hyberds that there off spring will start going back to the 2 types of chickens . that were breed to get the hyberds . & . that there off spring will not lay near as good as there hyberd perants.

 

[AlleysChicks]

For brown eggs I’d have to say Australorps or Barred Rocks. Mine lay large and XL eggs. They just started laying again after their molt but so far it’s been pretty much every day.

 

[grp]

to get a hyberd they use 2 different types of chickens . what i have read is that if you breed 2 hyberds that there off spring will start going back to the 2 types of chickens . that were breed to get the hyberds . & . that there off spring will not lay near as good as there hyberd perants.

So, if i am reading this right, you intend to continuously breed your own chickens. That would be the answer to the "why not hybrids?" question.

May i ask why you want to breed your own? Are you going to sell eggs? Do you want to have meat birds and layers? How many chickens are you getting? will they be free ranging?

If you are dead set on breeding your own, the Barred Plymouth Rock or *Buff Orpington is your best bet:

1) The chicks/hatching eggs are cheap and any hatchery or farm store will have lots of them.
2) You WILL create a lot of cockerels, and either breed are big enough to be good eating birds.
3) They lay 5+ eggs per week, and they are big brown eggs

*Buff Orpingtons are said to be broody and good mothers. They will likely be very easy to breed. Because of this they might be the BEST option.

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

Production wise.....BPR, NHR, RIR, australorps...

ditto and the hamps and lorps lay larger or bigger eggs.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

what is the very best Non Hybirds Brown egg laying hens

Define "Hybrid"

 

[Ashley McDaniel]

Oh how I wish you would consider a Hybrid! Lol As an owner of Rhode Island Red's, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Austrolorp, Ameracauna, and White Leghorns, I can tell you that I am promised a large brown egg every single day by both my barred rock and my Rhode Island Red, who are both friendly, docile and very talkative I might add. BUT MY GOLDEN COMET on the other hand, is just as dependable, producing a large brown egg every single day as well. The Golden COMET is a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a White Leghorn , the best laying hens in the world all wrapped up into this wonderful breed called the golden comet. They are so calm, gentle, tame , hardy, non broody , and great for beginners and small children as well. Mine will come in the back door and walk around my house as if she owns the place lol she hops up into my 3 year olds power wheels and sits in the passenger seat like "hey guys, don't mind me, I'm just along for the ride!" I've never met a bird quite like the sweet natured, funny, and intelligent, big brown egg laying Golden COMET. Thanks for letting me share please let us know what you decide on best of luck!

 

[bald Rooster]

My Barred Rocks have been my best layers, by far. My mother has them too with the same experience. 6-7 eggs per day as pullets and 5-6 a day season 2-4 so far, 9 months out of the year. Obviously they slow down before and during molt and mine slow down to the occasional egg during the coldest two months of the year and start to slowly work up from there.

Next in line are my RIR's. 5-7 eggs per week per bird but it does range more than my BR's. They slow down a lot more abruptly in the winter but they ramp up production faster too.

My Australorps are probably about the same as my RIR's or not far off. I only have a few so it is harder to tell and they are in the mixed flock not one of the separates.

My easter eggers are next. 4-5 eggs a week after their pullet years. They slow down to 2-3 per week in the winter but I have NEVER had them stop laying. That is great because for some reason I like their eggs more...lol. I know, that is mental. Sorry, these are not brown eggs and I know you are asking for those but this is where this bird fits in my lineup.

Next to last is my Orpington flock. These ladies were very slow to mature. I got my first egg at 26 weeks and not everyone started laying until about 28 weeks or so. They did lay right through their first winter as per normal with birds that I have raised. They did so by giving me 4-6 eggs per week per bird and like the RIR's there seemed to be more variance here than with some other birds. Now that they are going into their third season and working on their fourth I am getting, on average, 4-5 eggs per week per bird but 4 is more common. They stop laying almost completely from December to February. I get the random egg now and again. But come the first week of March they are right back to 4-5 eggs per week.

I have more breeds on their way to test out over the next 3-4 seasons.

Disclaimer, all of my birds are hatchery quality. Not all of them from the same hatchery. I have mostly cackle birds but I get TSC birds and I have no idea where they come from and I have some from Meyer too.

About liking easter egger eggs the most. I have RIR,EE,bcm,Americana, and several mixes.
The easter egger, americana and bcm have the richest tasting eggs. My wife likes the green eggs the most also.

 

[SueT]

I have a Speckled Sussex and she's my best layer. She lays almost every day, fairly consistently 5- 6 eggs a week. My Barred Plymouth Rock consistently lays only every other day, but her eggs are quite a bit bigger. So who is actually giving me more?

This is an update to my post #10 on p 1:
I looked at the egg count for the month of Feb. The barred plymouth rock laid 14 eggs and Speckled Sussex 20. If they all weighed what the 2 in the photo weigh....2.8 oz for the BR, and 1.9 for SS, then the monthly weight is
Barred Rock 39.2 oz
Speckled Sussex 38 oz
So we got more from the Barred Rock who laid less eggs!

 

[Gfp]

So, if i am reading this right, you intend to continuously breed your own chickens. That would be the answer to the "why not hybrids?" question.

May i ask why you want to breed your own? Are you going to sell eggs? Do you want to have meat birds and layers? How many chickens are you getting? will they be free ranging?

If you are dead set on breeding your own, the Barred Plymouth Rock or *Buff Orpington is your best bet:

1) The chicks/hatching eggs are cheap and any hatchery or farm store will have lots of them.
2) You WILL create a lot of cockerels, and either breed are big enough to be good eating birds.
3) They lay 5+ eggs per week, and they are big brown eggs

*Buff Orpingtons are said to be broody and good mothers. They will likely be very easy to breed. Because of this they might be the BEST option.

I just received a catalog from Hoover Hatchery . & . In it. It says that . Black Australorp . Are Black Orpingtons . That Originate from Australia ! & . They have them Listed with all the Orpingtons .