What is the best laying breed of large brown eggs?

[shelleyd2008]

I know Austrolorps are supposed to be, but I'm wanting something with a bit more color. These would be for my dad (if I get any), and he has RIR right now. They will be 2 years old next spring, and they aren't laying worth a darn right now.

Dad usually gives away eggs from his birds, or sells them to people at church. I was thinking of some kind of dark egg layers, like wellsummers, marans, barnevelders, etc. How are any of these as egg layers? Any others you would recommend, besides RIR and Austrolorps?

ETA: Something not feather-footed is preferred

ETA again: Also a breed that would not stop laying the first time temps drop below 35*.

 

[bigdawg]

i have red sex links that started laying in late jan and they havent let up all year i live in mid tenn. but they are red and white colored so they may not be much change of color. i belive barred rocks are excelent layers year round and are very popular, blk and white speckeld

 

[CMV]

I have gold-laced Wyandottes and Black Giants, both of which lay a good sized (medium to large) pale brown egg, both of which lay throughout the winter months and both of which are lovely to look at. Australorps and Giants look very similar, though. Wyandottes are lovely birds with a couple color variations that are stunning.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
How are the wyandottes for laying? He had a couple of SLW hens last winter, and it seemed that they were the first to stop laying when the temps dropped.

 

[dave3877]

id say black sex links or barred rocks. they are laying machines

 

[fadetopurple]

It's been a while, but I remember my Barred Rocks laying a lot more than my current hens do. I also remember a lot of frozen eggs in the winter, so while production may have slowed down, it didn't cease entirely. (And it gets a little colder than 35° here!)

 

[Capone]

i have australorpes and red stars, and the red stars lay more eggs and bigger eggs. im getting 25 welsummers this month

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Oh, it gets colder than that here, not by too much for too long, but that seems to be about when they decided that egg-laying was beneath them

I'm not sure that he likes barred birds, do the other colored rocks lay as well? I know there is just a difference of color, but I have read conflicting statements in my 'research'.

 

[dave3877]

honestly my welsummers havent layed worth a crap this year

 

[dave3877]

Quote:
Oh, it gets colder than that here, not by too much for too long, but that seems to be about when they decided that egg-laying was beneath them

I'm not sure that he likes barred birds, do the other colored rocks lay as well? I know there is just a difference of color, but I have read conflicting statements in my 'research'.

lucky me gets them year round from mine. i like barred rocks though. in a temperate zone like tejas its cool. ill get them on christmas and im thinking man is this really a present lol. anyways according to the ideal hatcheries book lay chart - buff,partridge,glw,slw,delewares,white rocks,and new hampshire reds all were in the good to very good category on rate of lay. barred rocks and rir were both excellent as were gold and black sex links.