Want a mixed flock of laying hens?

[Rock Home Isle]

For quantity of eggs 250+ eggs per year, there is the Leghorn. But the Leghorns can be a high strung flighty breed of poultry.

If the birds have access to a yard outside the pen where they can forage, the Welsummer is very effective and simply a beautiful breed. The Welsummer is one of the most effective foragers. They will lay ~180-200 large dark spotted eggs.

Plymouth Rocks are another very productive breed of poultry that should be considered. As a breed they lay 180-220+ eggs and are very good foragers and a pleasure to have in the hen house. They are a very cold hardy bredd.

Marans are an incredable breed. They are not high strung but can be flighty if not treated well. They lay ~200+ very dark and large eggs. Early eggs are darker and they get progressively lighter as the lay season progresses. Another nice cold hardy breed.

Buff Orpingtons are a very calm and docile breed. One of the best for a beginner and can be made very tame by repeated offering of scratch from the handler. They will ~180+ large brown eggs and are very cold hardy.

Realise that there are different strains of poultry fior each breed and your rate of lay may vary. But if you are getting significantly less then the numbers indicated above, the strain that you have is not a productive strain.

 

[Stephanie739]

I thought about recommending barred rocks but mine lay such small eggs. All of my hens, even my brahmas, are laying small eggs except my golden comets and leghorns. I get double yolks from these sometimes and sometimes their eggs hardly fit in the carton. My leghorns and comets lay an egg most every day.

I thought marans tended to go broody? I am planning on purchasing some marans soon, but I wanted them primarily for broodiness. I have goals of self sufficiency, and am encouraging broodiness in my flock.

I just took this picture today. The two biggest sets of eggs are leghorns (white) and golden comets. The other eggs are from barred rocks, australorps, a LF brahma, and a new hampshire. I do get eggs from all my girls most everyday, but the size difference is worth mentioning. My friend has some sort of red chickens, RIR I think. His are laying huge eggs.

 

[Stephanie739]

I'm not sure why the leghorn eggs look weirdly shaped. This happens at times. Maybe it is because these girls are getting older?

 

[Stephanie739]

While my leghorns won't exactly climb into my lap, they aren't mean at all. They are small birds, good flyers (high fence is a must!) They will likely never go broody.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

The great thing about Chicken People.
You ask 20 people and you will get 20 different answers

That being said

My true Ameraucana's are my nicest along with my Olive eggers

 

[Nicole01]

I have 9 breeds out of 11 chickens. I bought 3 more this year, 2 for more eggs and 1 maran for egg color. They should be be laying in August. Here are my eggs from the current laying.

Rhode Island red, speckled Sussex, 2 EE's, frizzle Cochin, d'uccle(smallest egg), and a dark brahma. My Wyandotte does not lay for whatever reason(shes 1 year 3 months old).

Left to right--- EE, RIR, EE, Brahma, Cochin, SS, and d'uccle.

The more you handle the chicks at a young age, the friendlier they are, except leghorns. Leghorns are skittish.

 

[Stephanie739]

The great thing about Chicken People.
You ask 20 people and you will get 20 different answers

That being said

My true Ameraucana's are my nicest along with my Olive eggers

I'm getting some of these soon too

Need some green and blue eggs in my basket, along with the chocolate eggs of the maran....

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Maran;s are nice but live on the wild side with a Penedesenca
younger chickens lay some seriously dark eggs

They are hard to find though.

 

[Stephanie739]

I have 9 breeds out of 11 chickens. I bought 3 more this year, 2 for more eggs and 1 maran for egg color. They should be be laying in August. Here are my eggs from the current laying.
Rhode Island red, speckled Sussex, 2 EE's, d'uccle(smallest egg), and a dark brahma. My Wyandotte does not lay for whatever reason(shes 1 year 3 months old).

The more you handle the chicks at a young age, the friendlier they are, except leghorns. Leghorns are skittish.

The egg in the middle row, furthest to the left looks like my australorps eggs, kind of tall, but thin....the one in the middle furthest to the right looks like my comets, underneath that looks like my brahma lol

 

[Nicole01]

Quote:

The egg in the middle row, furthest to the left looks like my australorps eggs, kind of tall, but thin....the one in the middle furthest to the right looks like my comets, underneath that looks like my brahma lol

That's my d'uccle, it's a tiny egg.lol. My Brahma's eggs are dark like the RIR. It's funny how the same breed has many shades they lay. My SS and Cochin are identical. Oops. I forgot to add the Cochin in the original post. Duh.