what breed is best?

[Windrider]

I think that is good advice. Great to see another collie person too!

My avatar is actually a Sheltie, though I have also had collies. Sticking with Shelties now that I am serious about agility, since my collie didn't like it but for the Shelties it is their favorite thing in the world.

 

[Cecisflock]

My avatar is actually a Sheltie, though I have also had collies. Sticking with Shelties now that I am serious about agility, since my collie didn't like it but for the Shelties it is their favorite thing in the world.

So true. My dad calls them mini collies. My aunt had a few. Great dogs.

 

[booklover]

I always go for the less productive breeds, & have a good amount of hens. They lay alot longer. I have an 7-8 year old Mille Fleur D'uccle hen that still lays eggs. Just not now since it's winter.

I have 35 laying hens, of various breeds, & mixes.(No Production Hybrids)

thanks! but I'm leaning more towards less hens and more production for less time

 

[booklover]

You've got good info from others here, but let me put the info in a more succinct format. You've got a choice:

1. Go with Production breeds (Leghorn, Production Red) or Hybrids (RSL, BSL, any of the Sexlinks, etc). You will get a great many eggs for a year or maybe two, but will need to renew the flock whole or partially after then to keep egg production up.

2. Go with "Heritage" breeds or non-production breeds. You'll get less eggs yearly from the same number of chickens as above, but they will lay reasonably well for a great many more years.

3. Go with a mix of both. Many people who want a good number of eggs consistently regularly rotate in new chickens every season and cull the oldest ones, so they always have a mix of of ages at their most productive.

I am looking for the hybrids or birds that lay more for a year than consistent laying, since I am going to be marrying soon and don't want the birds but for a year or so, plus I don't want as many.

 

[MysteryChicken]

thanks! but I'm leaning more towards less hens and more production for less time

You're welcome.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I haven’t had problems with RIR/Production Reds.

 

[booklover]

I haven’t had problems with RIR/Production Reds.

me neither, that's what I have now but I was just wondering if there was anything someone knew was better

 

[pepe1]

I have 21 Golden comets that started laying at 18 to 21 weeks old, they laid large eggs right away and are now laying X large to Jumbo with Double yolkers sometimes, i was getting 19 to 21 eggs daily and now at 20 months 15 to 20 every day, If you want a lot of good size eggs go with Golden Comets

 

[booklover]

I have 21 Golden comets that started laying at 18 to 21 weeks old, they laid large eggs right away and are now laying X large to Jumbo with Double yolkers sometimes, i was getting 19 to 21 eggs daily and now at 20 months 15 to 20 every day, If you want a lot of good size eggs go with Golden Comets

that's cool! is golden comets another name for rsl?

 

[saysfaa]

I am looking for the hybrids or birds that lay more for a year than consistent laying, since I am going to be marrying soon and don't want the birds but for a year or so, plus I don't want as many.

Red sexlinks is what I see most often identified as the best layers with very few disputing that. Isa Brown was one of the first widely marketed red sexlinks. ISA Brown is a registered trade name so hatcheries developing their own versions use other names: Red Star, Cinnamon Queen, Golden Comet, and so on.

They are all basically RIR crossed with white leghorns; not necessarily only those two breeds. I'm sure there is a bit more to it - not any RIR with any white leghorn will perform as well as the specific strains that make up these named strains.

This from reading a lot, not from personal experience.