Which breed is most economical to feed?

[Bandana]

Sex Links are friendlier. Good to know. Especially since many of these birds will be in a somewhat urban area.

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

Hubbard ISA Browns are supposed to have a good rate of conversion. I have several, and they are calm quiet birds. I can't verrify for sure how much they eat because they are in the same pen with all the others but I did find this info on the Townline Hatchery site:

"All other egg laying breeds are judged and compared to these. They offer you exceptional egg output, resulting in low feed conversion. Bred for large egg size, the in-built adaptability allows you to produce an average egg size from 62 to 65 grams or so.

Isa Browns have a current livability of 97.3% and hen housed average production to 76 weeks is 321 eggs. Average egg weight is 62.8 g."

 

[Bandana]

I'm not familiar with Hubbard ISA Browns. Are they similar to Production Reds?

 

[All about the EGG]

Quote:
Sure, my kids love them, and they all have their own personality. But they are chickens...so be prepared to laugh, they do some stupid funny things. Yes, our are in the urbanist of urban!

 

[Mahonri]

If I had a farm, I'd buy Isa Browns and Leghorns and put them to the test.

Also... is it all leghorns or just their egg laying variety?

There are so many varieties of leghorns.

 

[patandchickens]

I strongly suspect that the feed-conversion advantage of ISA Browns is only noticeable in a commercial setting (i.e, it is probably some tiny percent, relevant only if you have a hundred thousand birds in the barn).

Any good line (if you can call it that) of sexlinks should be just about as good. (Meaning no disrespect to ISA Browns -- I have one, originally it was 3 before two expired, rather young, of internal laying type issues; I just love 'em to pieces in terms of laying ability and personality, although I am unimpressed with their longevity, alas).

I've been asking around about leghorns myself lately, and almost everyone with standard leghorns, regardless of variety or source, seems to find them to be wingnuts. Most consistant exception seems to be people with show lines of bantam leghorns. There may indeed be relatively tamer lines of standard leghorns out there, but it is not like "only the commercial lines are nuts".

I'd think for urban backyarders, a good line of sexlink (or maybe two if you want red and black so people can have Variety) would be pretty much exactly what you're looking for.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[NC chicken man]

I've got 3 leghorns and about 260 brown sex-links ,cant beat a sex-link for good brown eggs and good temperment.

 

[Bandana]

Awesome. Thanks for all of the input. Just ordered a couple dozen sex-links.

 

[MichiganWoods]

How do Leghorns compare to Rhode Island Whites? I've been reading and it looks as though they both lay prolifically, but only the Rhode Islands lay over winter. Is that factored into economical eating?

 

[The Farmers Wife]

Anconas have an excellent feed conversion ratio as well......one of our best.....Golden Lakenvelders are a close second...........