Which breeds have you had good egg production from?

[Roli]

My white leghorns have been laying just about an egg a day for over a month now. Lowest temp the past 30 days was 40 degrees. Highest temp last 30 days 95 degrees. They seem to not be bothered by the temperature change as much as I thought they would. Of course every bird is different but they’ve been great and while mine are a little skittish I couldn’t be happier that I got this particular breed.

 

[NerdyChicken]

My experience is that it's less about the breed and more about the hatchery. Each hatchery (or chicken raiser or whatever) tends to have their own genetics for a given breed - hence Breed X from one hatchery may do better than Breed Y, whereas at a different hatchery, Breed Y will do better than Breed X. Now yes, in general, there are certain breeds you can count on for certain characteristics, but if you want _THE_BEST_ breed for a certain characteristic, talk to the hatchery you're going to be purchasing from and ask for their recommendation - they know what they're breeding certain lines for and they know how they match up. Asking anyone else for their two cents is more like collecting localized information that while it may have been true for their personal experience, doesn't necessarily match up with what you get from the hatchery you're using.

This is doubly true given that some breed names are "localized" as well. Several people have mentioned Gold Comet - and I've used them and liked them myself - now try asking everyone what the parents are for Gold Comet (Gold Comet is a sex-link breed where the parents are from two different breeds and you can sex the chicks based on color. Breeding two Gold Comets to each other doesn't necessarily give you a Gold Comet as you lose hybrid vigor (heterosis) and the results aren't quite the same). You'll find that different hatcheries use different parents to product "Gold Comets" hence, they're really not the same bird at all.

Your best bet is to ask the hatchery.

 

[Kathleen Stevens]

Hello! So, I LOVE the friendliness and high egg production #'s coming from my Golden Comets (6-7 per week), however I don't like the reproductive issues that have started happening (egg bound, etc....) So, I'm needing some advice as to which chickens you've had the best egg output from..... I'll be adding close to 20 hens with the sole purpose of selling eggs and want breeds that can give me 5-6-7 eggs per week and is not a production hybrid. Any breeds you've had luck with??? Thanks!

Rhode island reds,super friendl

Hello! So, I LOVE the friendliness and high egg production #'s coming from my Golden Comets (6-7 per week), however I don't like the reproductive issues that have started happening (egg bound, etc....) So, I'm needing some advice as to which chickens you've had the best egg output from..... I'll be adding close to 20 hens with the sole purpose of selling eggs and want breeds that can give me 5-6-7 eggs per week and is not a production hybrid. Any breeds you've had luck with??? Thanks!

 

[Kathleen Stevens]

Rhode island reds,super friendly,great egg production weather It'sfreezing out or hot, I also love orpington, any color,buff ,white, or lavender rt. Easter Eggers are good as well but have a hard time in the summer in the south.ive been looking at some welsommers and some bienvelders,( I hope I spelled that right,lol)

good luck.

 

[foodfreak02]

White Leghorn

We also have excellent success with white leghorns and red stars. The white leghorns are narrower birds, not small like a banty but thinner than even a red star so they take up less room (hence more in your coop) and absolutely stellar layers of white eggs. We get about 320+ eggs a year. Same with the red stars but the eggs aren’t usually quite as big as the leg horns.

 

[foodfreak02]

That's awesome! Sounds like my Golden Comet, until she started having reproductive issues
Are your Leghorns skittish or are they easily handled?

Our leghorns are skittish for the most part. Out of 6, 4 are very skittish and will just go wacko to get away from us but the other 2 are shockingly ok with us. I think a lot of that has to do with how much handling they got as chickens and still hands on as they grew (otherwise I think it’s mostly the breed).

 

[Ariapina]

Hello! So, I LOVE the friendliness and high egg production #'s coming from my Golden Comets (6-7 per week), however I don't like the reproductive issues that have started happening (egg bound, etc....) So, I'm needing some advice as to which chickens you've had the best egg output from..... I'll be adding close to 20 hens with the sole purpose of selling eggs and want breeds that can give me 5-6-7 eggs per week and is not a production hybrid. Any breeds you've had luck with??? Thanks!

I have a white leghorn who lays faithfully every day. In general, people report that they are bossy or skittish with people but mine hops into my lap everyday when I sit with them. She's tiny and the least "pretty" but man, she lays like a champ and loves being loved on. Win/win!

 

[WindingRoad]

White Leghorn

I have 5 White Leghorn's. All 5 for them have laid EVERYDAY for the last 10 days. Beautiful eggs. Greater that 70 grams which is Jumbo size. Mostly, in the 71-74 grams range. When I replace that's the breed I'll get. Also, the shells are HARD and rarely break. The eggs themselves are rarely eaten either. As opposed to my brown egg layers.

P.S. couple of my leghorns don't like to be petted or held. They are getting better. I don't force it much. Chickens can't see in the dark so that's the time to talk softly to them and pet them. I sing to my birds every night. Lul-a-bye and good night,,,,,,,,,...... LOL So the way to calm them down is to do it after dark. And these birds are smaller than my others but can they put out the size and number of eggs..... I have 13 chickens in all. 2 RIR, 2 Buffs, 2 Black Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Plymouth Barred Rock. The 2 Buffs are going on 3 years old lay maybe 3-4 times a week. Eggs are small. The other 6 brown egg layers 5-6 times a week. Today I got 12 eggs. The other 8 are still pullets. I got 4-5 eggs a day in the winter. I live in Maine. We had a mild winter.

 

[WindingRoad]

Thank you for your reply! Did you find that the Leghorns are skittish, unfriendly, etc...???
How many eggs are you getting per week? Thanks!

My 5 leghorns are on day 10 of laying everyday. That's 50 eggs in 10 days. I'm keeping track of their streak. The brown egg layers are a little harder to match to their eggs. Some days darker egg or larger egg. I go out often and catch many in the "act".. You can't turn around on a leghorn or she'll lay her egg when your
back it turned. They also tend to lay on the floor or outside. I don't think they get the "urge" soon enough to get to the nest box some times. I went out today. And found 5 eggs all at once. That's the biggest bunch I've gotten in the three years I've had my birds. For the 1st year I only had 4 hens.

Some of my brown layers can take 30-45 mins to lay. I have a Barred Rock who almost crows when she' getting ready to lay. I keep telling her I know she's not a rooster. I've seen her lay. One of my RIR thinks she a rooster. She keeps trying with her sister. And all of my Brown layers are broody. Mostly brooding the fake eggs. Of if there are white eggs in the nest they try to brood them. I keep telling them those are fake eggs and besides we don't have a rooster. They don't listen.

 

[Goldmoon]

We have had great success with Bovans Brown, they are consistent layers, and the eggs are large.