What hens are great egg layers?

[chickenlover50010]

Hi! I currently have no chickens and I am trying to convince my parents to let me raise some. What hens are great layers? I want to have enogh eggs for my family of four, to give to neighbors(to soften them up about having chickens in my yard) and to sell(just a little stand to put up when people are having yard sales, to put up on my driveway, that sort of thing, nothing major). I don't care what color, and I don't want small eggs; I would prefer large eggs. Thanks!!

 

[peeboo]

LOL i got 4 sex links, black sex links and they lay enough for my fiance and i and all of our neighbors. they just wont quit

 

[Wifezilla]

Well, khaki campbell ducks are awesome layers (about 1 a day)...so if you can't get them to go for chickens, you have another option

 

[miss_jayne]

Leghorns! followed by sex-links.

here is a chart that can help you.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[Nemo]

We bought Buff Orpingtons last year. They are the first chickens we've owned, but I would recommend then to anybody. They are wonderful birds; they look beautiful, have (mostly) friendly personalities, and lay great eggs. They are winter-hardy, which was important for us way up here in northern Wisconsin. They also are good mothers, if we decide to let them hatch any eggs.

If your parents do allow you to get some, be sure to order hens only. If you are worried about your neighbors now, then you definitely don't want any roosters in your flock.

If you want enough eggs for a family of four, then three or four chickens should be more than enough... Four chickens should lay about two dozen eggs a week in their prime. With that few birds, you only need a small coop.

I don't think I would start out with the idea of selling eggs. More birds means a bigger coop... Each chicken should have at least four square-feet of floor space in the coop, and ten square-feet in the run or yard. So, for four chickens, you're looking at a coop at least four-foot by four-foot. Imagine you and your sibling stuck in a tiny bedroom!

More chickens would also mean more feed to buy for the five-ish months before they start laying. Once they do start laying, depending on prices in your area, if you sell a dozen eggs a few times a month, you should be able to pay for feed for four chickens.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[KYBOY]

Golden Comets..They lay like machines

 

[notsooldmcdonald]

Our Red Stars are incredibly friendly, and lay large eggs.

My only concern is their longevity. I've read a lot of horror stories about them becoming internal layers after year two. The thought of losing so many sweet, funny chicken-alities all at once makes me sad _now_ and they're only 7 months old!

Good luck!
-Christian

 

[davidb]

RIR and red star

 

[Rooster Ray]

My White leghorn and my Barred Rock are my best layers one egg everyday from these two faithfully.

 

[ttbkremer]

Golden Comets are the way to go. I have 13 hens and they are going on 1 year old, we have been getting 13 eggs ever since they started laying.