First off thanks for the site, never would have believed. OK, I have Barred Rock, White Rock, Golden Wyandolla?, Delaware's & Production Reds--which I am guessing is Rhode Island Red. Will any lay a white egg? Which are the best producers? How long before they start laying eggs? I have a ton of questions--I'll stop now. thank you. rg's
I've had all of those breeds over the past 50 years, and for sheer egg production, the Production Reds will be your best layers (5-6 eggs per week per hen on average). The others all have about the same lay rate (3-4 eggs per week per hen on average). None of them will lay white eggs; they are all brown egg layers. By best producers, do you mean in your flock? Then it's the Production Reds as I have said. If you mean among all breeds, they best layers are White Leghorns (for white eggs) and Black and Red Sex Links (for brown eggs). As Toddrick indicated, you can breed your own Red Sex Links by crossing a Production Red rooster with a Barred Rock hen. Not only will you be able to sex the offspring by color (male chicks will be whitish, female chicks will be reddish), but they will be egg laying machines, outlaying either parent breed. It's one of the interesting quirks of hybridization. Most of your pullets will begin laying eggs from 20-24 weeks, a few perhaps a little earlier and maybe an occasional one a little later.