Whats the best chickens for eggs?

[Sylvester017]

My one Easter Egger lays massive eggs when she first started laying. Now she's recently gone back to more normal size eggs but they're still pretty big and occasionally she still throws a huge egg. Usually she then takes a break for a day then resumes laying. She laid big eggs from her second egg on (first was broken shell). Hers were also often double yolkers. So i hope she doesn't become egg bound eventually.

My Blue Wheaten Ameraucana couldn't exit a nestbox fast enough after laying her eggs and sometimes her klutzy feet/toenails would make a hairline crack in her just-layed egg as she made a hasty exit. Happened about 3x when we had her. Another time she was so anxious to leave the nestbox she knocked a Silkie to the ground who was sitting on the nestbox ledge and I had to take the Silkie to the vet. Don't know what makes these incredibly gentle Amer's so hyper, jittery, and jumpy. She trusted us and let us pet her, hold her, feed her treats but she was simultaneously alert/aware of noises or motions going on around her at all times.

Poor hen and you! So sorry, had no idea

TY

 

[ShanandGem]

I have seven 'true' Ameraucana chicks growing out and they are the most alert, inquisitive and friendly chicks I have raised so far. There's one I call Mrs. Murphy who camps out by the screen door just waiting to see if I offer to take them outside. The Black Copper Marans chicks are by far the least personable of the breeds I have raised.

 

[ShrekDawg]

[COLOR=0000CD]My Blue Wheaten Ameraucana couldn't exit a nestbox fast enough after laying her eggs and sometimes her klutzy feet/toenails would make a hairline crack in her just-layed egg as she made a hasty exit.  Happened about 3x when we had her.  Another time she was so anxious to leave the nestbox she knocked a Silkie to the ground who was sitting on the nestbox ledge and I had to take the Silkie to the vet.  Don't know what makes these incredibly gentle Amer's so hyper, jittery, and jumpy.  She trusted us and let us pet her, hold her, feed her treats but she was simultaneously alert/aware of noises or motions going on around her at all times.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]TY[/COLOR]

Wow that's so weird she was so jumpy and eager to leave! Maybe she couldn't see what was going on from inside the boxes? It is a pretty vulnerable place. Mines first egg was full on broken hah said shell but it was laid in front of the door, soft/soggy and yolk all over the shavings hah but since then she and everyone else lays hard shelled eggs. Only had one or two others broken and they started 2 months ago. Well, 2 did lol the coop is small though so maybe that contributes. New coop is much bigger, if we ever finish it

have had a couple not broken ones laid in the coop corner or the run but not often. Anyhow, now that you mention yours racing out of the boxes and now thst I think about it, I think my EEs may be some of the fastest out too. But maybe not. I don't really watch them that much during the day but they always seem to go in and leave quickly. But maybe the one just goes in and leaves if her favorite box is full without laying. Don't know. But some of the Orpingtons and Australorps spend forever in the boxes. One leaves particularly quickly though but others take a while. Maybe it's when I want to collect them it seems to take longer but then it's not just then cause sometimes I'll go out there or look out the window and wonder where so and so is and she's in the box and still is even after I do their chores aha

 

[Sylvester017]

I have seven 'true' Ameraucana chicks growing out and they are the most alert, inquisitive and friendly chicks I have raised so far. There's one I call Mrs. Murphy who camps out by the screen door just waiting to see if I offer to take them outside. The Black Copper Marans chicks are by far the least personable of the breeds I have raised.

I didn't have any luck with Marans. The one we had was aloof toward humans, very combative and vicious toward flockmates, and sneaky picking feathers off a Silkie while roosting at night. We re-homed her after we realized she was starting to pick on another Silkie too. This is what she did to the Silkie before we realized the Silkie was being cannibalized and not molting:

Wow that's so weird she was so jumpy and eager to leave! Maybe she couldn't see what was going on from inside the boxes? It is a pretty vulnerable place. Mines first egg was full on broken hah said shell but it was laid in front of the door, soft/soggy and yolk all over the shavings hah but since then she and everyone else lays hard shelled eggs. Only had one or two others broken and they started 2 months ago. Well, 2 did lol the coop is small though so maybe that contributes. New coop is much bigger, if we ever finish it

have had a couple not broken ones laid in the coop corner or the run but not often. Anyhow, now that you mention yours racing out of the boxes and now thst I think about it, I think my EEs may be some of the fastest out too. But maybe not. I don't really watch them that much during the day but they always seem to go in and leave quickly. But maybe the one just goes in and leaves if her favorite box is full without laying. Don't know. But some of the Orpingtons and Australorps spend forever in the boxes. One leaves particularly quickly though but others take a while. Maybe it's when I want to collect them it seems to take longer but then it's not just then cause sometimes I'll go out there or look out the window and wonder where so and so is and she's in the box and still is even after I do their chores aha

None of my egg-laying production birds were broody types and they were in and out of the nestboxes pronto -- Leghorns, Marans, Ameraucanas, BRs, RIRs, Calif Greys, Breda. It's the broody types like Silkies, Orps, 'Lorps, Doms, etc that seem to like lingering in the nestboxes when laying their eggs much to the chagrin of egg-layers anxiously waiting for them to vacate a favorite box so they can lay THEIR eggs! Collecting eggs immediately after a hen lays is a good way to eliminate broken or eaten eggs. We have a small flock of 3 or 4 birds at most so it's easy for us to stay on top of egg collections plus our coop is only about 10 steps from the sliding kitchen door:

The coop is left next to garage door and kitchen sliding door is on the far right of photo - we're building a patio roof for coop shade in summer and for us to stay dry when collecting eggs in rainy weather:

 

[DuckGirl77]

I didn't have any luck with Marans. The one we had was aloof toward humans, very combative and vicious toward flockmates, and sneaky picking feathers off a Silkie while roosting at night. We re-homed her after we realized she was starting to pick on another Silkie too. This is what she did to the Silkie before we realized the Silkie was being cannibalized and not molting:


None of my egg-laying production birds were broody types and they were in and out of the nestboxes pronto -- Leghorns, Marans, Ameraucanas, BRs, RIRs, Calif Greys, Breda. It's the broody types like Silkies, Orps, 'Lorps, Doms, etc that seem to like lingering in the nestboxes when laying their eggs much to the chagrin of egg-layers anxiously waiting for them to vacate a favorite box so they can lay THEIR eggs! Collecting eggs immediately after a hen lays is a good way to eliminate broken or eaten eggs. We have a small flock of 3 or 4 birds at most so it's easy for us to stay on top of egg collections plus our coop is only about 10 steps from the sliding kitchen door:

The coop is left next to garage door and kitchen sliding door is on the far right of photo - we're building a patio roof for coop shade in summer and for us to stay dry when collecting eggs in rainy weather:

Poor silkie!
Come to think of it, my EE never spent long in the nestbox but my Orpington and RIRs took forevever!
That's cool that you have the coop so close to the house! Haha mine is a bit further than that so it's not so easy to get the eggs as soon as they lay them! Well, I guess it isn't too far, ...... but I'm lazy! I assume you don't have a rooster since the coop is literally next door!

 

[ShrekDawg]

[COLOR=0000CD]I didn't have any luck with Marans. The one we had was aloof toward humans, very combative and vicious toward flockmates, and sneaky picking feathers off a Silkie while roosting at night. We re-homed her after we realized she was starting to pick on another Silkie too. This is what she did to the Silkie before we realized the Silkie was being cannibalized and not molting:[/COLOR] [COLOR=0000CD]None of my egg-laying production birds were broody types and they were in and out of the nestboxes pronto -- Leghorns, Marans, Ameraucanas, BRs, RIRs, Calif Greys, Breda. It's the broody types like Silkies, Orps, 'Lorps, Doms, etc that seem to like lingering in the nestboxes when laying their eggs much to the chagrin of egg-layers anxiously waiting for them to vacate a favorite box so they can lay THEIR eggs! Collecting eggs immediately after a hen lays is a good way to eliminate broken or eaten eggs. We have a small flock of 3 or 4 birds at most so it's easy for us to stay on top of egg collections plus our coop is only about 10 steps from the sliding kitchen door:[/COLOR] [COLOR=0000CD]The coop is left next to garage door and kitchen sliding door is on the far right of photo - we're building a patio roof for coop shade in summer and for us to stay dry when collecting eggs in rainy weather:[/COLOR]

Yeah, my orps usually take the longest. Although right now May the barred rock has been in the box like 20 or 30 mins. I let the girls out at 4:30 or so to enjoy some sunshine (usually it's 6 or 6:30) and May has not left the box yet. 449 now. Lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

And our coop is right off the deck off the kitchen and porch room so it's close too

 

[ShrekDawg]

I find they tend to lay later lately so I collect at lock up now

 

[Sylvester017]

Poor silkie!
Come to think of it, my EE never spent long in the nestbox but my Orpington and RIRs took forevever!
That's cool that you have the coop so close to the house! Haha mine is a bit further than that so it's not so easy to get the eggs as soon as they lay them! Well, I guess it isn't too far, ...... but I'm lazy! I assume you don't have a rooster since the coop is literally next door!

Sometimes a BR who has Dominique genes will go broody but not often. I find it interesting that your RIR lingers in a nestbox.
No, we can't have roos. We had 2 accidental cockerels but found homes for them. I love crowing roos as it makes a lively homey backyard but I don't push that the neighbors may not think so!

Yeah, my orps usually take the longest. Although right now May the barred rock has been in the box like 20 or 30 mins. I let the girls out at 4:30 or so to enjoy some sunshine (usually it's 6 or 6:30) and May has not left the box yet. 449 now. Lol

I always wonder what makes a hen go in and out of the nestbox. Guess she's too anxious to miss what's going on outside!

And our coop is right off the deck off the kitchen and porch room so it's close too

Good planning!

I find they tend to lay later lately so I collect at lock up now

I have only one laying right now and she's a regular morning clockwork layer. These little Bredas are quite amazing for a smaller bird - 4 to 6 eggs/weekly at 1.75-oz. Breeder says the eggs get up to 2-oz the second year but I'm very happy with the medium eggs as long as they're regularly layed. We've been pleasantly impressed with Breda and have another on order. We ordered it before we lost our Ameraucana this week so I'm glad I have a new bird coming now.

 

[ShrekDawg]

[COLOR=0000CD]Sometimes a BR who has Dominique genes will go broody but not often.  I find it interesting that your RIR lingers in a nestbox.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=0000CD]No, we can't have roos.  We had 2 accidental cockerels but found homes for them.  I love crowing roos as it makes a lively homey backyard but I don't push that the neighbors may not think so![/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]I always wonder what makes a hen go in and out of the nestbox.  Guess she's too anxious to miss what's going on outside![/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]Good planning![/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000CD]I have only one laying right now and she's a regular morning clockwork layer.  These little Bredas are quite amazing for a smaller bird - 4 to 6 eggs/weekly at 1.75-oz.  Breeder says the eggs get up to 2-oz the second year but I'm very happy with the medium eggs as long as they're regularly layed.  We've been pleasantly impressed with Breda and have another on order.  We ordered it before we lost our Ameraucana this week so I'm glad I have a new bird coming now.[/COLOR]

Yeah, I wonder too. She came out a little while after. She was in there for like 30 or 40 mins total then flew out the back door across the yard in. real hurry LOL

Thanks! We were gonna put it on a hill in the front yard but figured that was too far away.

Wow that's impressive! I think I have a couple morning layers but then when I go to collect, even at 11 or 12, there's usually a chicken in there, and today there was one even at 4:30 so I wait haha some of my girls eggs were small but theyve gotten bigger