What breed is the best year round brown egg layer?

[abhaya]

RIR hands down

 

[wingznut76]

Hmmm, No one mentioned Delawares... So far mine are keepers. I just recently took back three that I had given a friend. He said they weren't laying, I said you need to feed them layer food. Long story short I bought him three whole chickens at the store and traded him. Took three weeks but now always two from them and usually three. Biggest disappointments are my barred rocks, as I thought they had a good rep.

 

[CoffeeCow]

mine just started laying (10/30) so I am definately no expert
one of my ee's is laying every other day, like clock work, I get a green egg every other day since day 1 hehe

the Delawares are laying almost every day, as is my BO.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
I think you should consider hatching a few eggs from that hen, LOL.

Also, how do you "cull rigorously" for production? I'd be very interested to know.

Which hatchery(s) are all you Aussie fans getting your chicks from? My Aussies are from McMurray, and I'm not all that impressed with them...

 

[BitsyB]

CowGirl71 wrote: Maybe you could get some fertile sex-link hatching eggs??? Quite a few breed combinations can make sex-links, BTW! Here's a link : https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208

Great link with tons of info- Thanks!

I'd love to hatch some baby chicks. Someday....​

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I think you should consider hatching a few eggs from that hen, LOL.

Also, how do you "cull rigorously" for production? I'd be very interested to know.

Which hatchery(s) are all you Aussie fans getting your chicks from? My Aussies are from McMurray, and I'm not all that impressed with them...

Simple...if they are not laying every day or every other day, I kill and eat them.

My Aussies originally came from McMurray's via my sis's flock.

 

[csk021]

How do you know if they're laying eggs or not without standing at the nesting box all day? I have 4 Autralorps and 4 Buff Orpingtons that are all 2 1/2 years old and i've been averaging only about 2 eggs a day for the past 6 months. I just don't know how to tell who's laying the eggs or not!

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
Haha! What I meant was how do you know whether or not they're laying? Do you spend a day watching to see who's using the nest boxes once in a while, do you use the pin bone measurements, or-?

Once I know who the slackers are, then I kill and eat them, LOL. I'd just like help figuring out who those are...

So yours are from McMurray. Hmmmm....

 

[Beekissed]

Well....I've been through this before and it always freaks folks out...but here goes.

All the methods they tell you about color of beak, legs, comb, wattle are faulty....I've butchered good layers based on this fallacy.

Also, the width of the pelvic chamber is another fallacy....some gals just have different bone structure and I've also butchered good layers trying to use this method as well.

The only way I've found that one can truly tell if a hen is really laying? Wait until night, take a hen off the roost. Glove up, insert a finger gently in the vent and palpate the intestinal wall. If you feel an egg, that hen will lay the next day. If not, she won't.

I mark the ones that don't have an egg. The next night I do all the chickens the same way once again. The hens that are unmarked that have an egg are my daily layers. The hens that are marked and still do not have an egg are tied and will be killed the next day. The marked that have an egg, I just assume they are an every other day layer that didn't lay the day after the first check.

It's been a pretty good system for me and is pretty foolproof. I've not killed a good layer since using this method.

Contrary to what some may think, this does not harm the bird if it is done gently and efficiently. Been doing it for about three years now without any ill effects in my flock.

Of course, they look at me a little strangely the next day but, do you blame 'em?

 

[Ibicella]

Quote:
At least you buy them dinner first.

Hee hee hee, ok. That's pretty cool! How do you mark them? And how often do you check the flock?