Best Chicken Breeds for Laying Eggs
Buff Orpington lay approx 175 – 200 light-brown eggs per year
Selecting birds for an egg-laying flock is not difficult, but you will need to research the matter to find the best birds for the job. If you prefer to keep pure-breeds, then selecting a commercial pure-breed is probably a better option, and these include the Rhode Island Red, Sussex, Wyandotte, Leghorn, Australorp and Rock. They are all ideal egg producers, but be careful when choosing, as many exhibition breeds are bred purely to a show pen standard, and egg-laying capabilities often suffer as a result.
The Australorp. Lays around 200-240 brown eggs per year
Leghorn. 280 white eggs per year.
Ancona bantams are good layers of small eggs but require less space than large fowl.
FINDING THE BEST LAYERS
Things to look out for when selecting members of the flock include large combs (ideally, bright-red ones), together with an alert and active disposition – bright eyes are usually a very positive sign. When holding a bird you can check the width of the pubic bones – there should be at least two fingers’ width between these bones, and four fingers should fit in between the tip of the breastbone and the vent. The abdomen should be soft, rounded and deep.
Checking the width between the breastbone and the event.
The rare Ixworth is both a good layer and an excellent meat bird.
Most commercial hybrids are bred for egg production, so if eggs are your sole requirement, these would be your best choice. Most hybrids were originally crossed using some of the best pure-breed egg layers, and today there are many individual strains available from a range of breeders, with most capable of very high levels of egg production. It is expected that a hybrid in a ‘commercial environment’ will produce around 340 eggs per year.
ISA Brown hens
The list of hybrids is extensive and includes the Black Rock, Black Star, Red Star, Speckledy (a Maran cross), the White Star (a Leghorn cross) and the Blue Bell. Many will lay in excess of 300 eggs per year, subject to the breed and husbandry – a back-garden bird, however, will rarely lay as well as a bird in a commercial environment.
A Speckledy
Some of today’s top layers:
* Leghorn – 280 white eggs per year. * Rhode Island Red – 260–310 brown eggs per year. * Light Sussex – 240–260 large, creamy-brown eggs per year. * Plymouth Rock – 190–240 large, brown eggs per year. * Wyandotte – 200–240 large, brown eggs per year. * Cuckoo Maran – 160–240 dark-brown eggs per year. * Barred Rock – 210 brown eggs (with a touch of pink) per year. * Orpington – 175–200 light-brown eggs per year. * Australorp – 200–240 brown eggs per year. * Faverolle – 160–200 cream-tinted eggs per year. The above egg numbers are approximate, and the egg colours broadly as per the description. If considering any of the above birds, speak with owners and breeders and ask about their experiences with the birds, and remember that some birds are simply better layers than others.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Although the breed you choose can determine the productivity, there are a number of other factors that can help increase egg production. These include:
* DAYLIGHT AND LIGHTING
Light affects egg production. Although a winter moult plays its part in stopping egg production, hens always lay fewer eggs as daylight decreases, and production will begin to increase again with longer days in spring. To produce the maximum number of eggs you might expect from a particular breed, the birds will need a minimum of 14 hours of light each day, and to achieve this during winter, artificial lighting is required together with a timer. The lights can then come on before sunrise and remain on after dark, with the timer set to give the precise amount of light required to maximise egg laying.
* EX-BATTERY HENS
These birds have usually come from commercial poultry farms, are generally 18–24 months old, and have been in confinement on the farm. They will have produced the maximum amount of eggs during this period, and although they are past their very best, they can still produce a good amount of eggs for the next year or two, given the right feed and environment. When they arrive they will be stressed, so stand back and give them a few days to settle in and get used to their new surroundings.
* BROODINESS
It is a good idea to compare breeds for broodiness – whether they will sit on their eggs. A broody is useful for breeders, but a serious problem in an egg-laying flock. A broody hen will cease to lay during periods of broodiness. This trait has been more or less bred out of hybrids, although broody hybrids do occur.
* FOOD
To ensure your hens’ bodies function as they should, they require a nutrient-rich diet. It is important that a laying hen receives a balanced diet which includes the correct levels of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. If a laying flock consists of birds older than 16–20 weeks, it is recommended that a diet of layers’ pellets is given as a basic daily feed. Layers’ pellets contain 16–18 percent protein and 3.5 percent calcium to promote strong eggshells. Many keepers also add oyster-shell for extra calcium just in case the feed does not provide enough of this important mineral. A calcium deficiency can result in thin-shelled eggs and also leg problems.
You may also need to offer your birds a higher-protein feed during periods of peak egg production, and when hot weather causes them to eat less. If you keep your flock confined, provide them with a source of insoluble grit to assist in grinding the feed in their gizzards. Free-range birds will normally find sufficient grit whilst foraging.* WATER
Water comprises more than half of the physical content of an egg, so laying chickens (and all chickens!) need a constant supply of fresh, clean water. This ensures that they do not dehydrate and will remain healthy. It must be available at all times, both during hot, dry weather and in the freezing cold of winter. If there is a lack of water, egg production will suffer.
* SHELTER
The weather in the UK is unpredictable, so make sure your birds always have adequate shelter. They will quickly become chilled during wet weather if they are denied shelter, which means that production, together with health, will suffer. Housing and any temporary shelter needs to be dry, clean and with enough room and ventilation for the number of birds being housed.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
Problem:
Chickens laying eggs anywhere and everywhere.
Solution:
Confine the birds completely or until later in the day; put artificial ‘dummy’ eggs in nest boxes.
Problem:
Egg-eating chickens.
Solution:
Gather eggs promptly; provide secluded, darkened nest sites; identify the culprit(s) and remove them from the flock.
Putting a golf ball in with the eggs will often discourage egg eating.
Problem:
Filthy eggs.
Solution:
Provide nest boxes with clean litter; keep coops, runs and nest boxes clean; collect eggs frequently.
Problem:
Reduced egg production.
Solution:
Provide a good, balanced diet of layers’ pellets; protect eggs from predators; install artificial lighting; reduce sources of stress; improve biosecurity to prevent disease.
HENS’ HALL OF SHAME
Certain breeds are just not good layers, and these same birds can be difficult to rear to adulthood. They include the Belgian D’Anver, Sebright and the Japanese Bantam. All are true bantams, and beautiful birds in their own right, but can prove difficult to breed, especially for a beginner.
THE WORST LAYERS
In truth, all chickens lay eggs. Exhibition birds can be some of the worst layers in terms of numbers, as this ability has often been sacrificed to achieve a required breed standard. When it comes to breeding, Japanese Bantams can lose as many as 25 per cent of their chicks, as they die shortly before hatching due to an allele (gene) combination common to the breed, together with the fact that they are not hardy. Although Araucanas are great to rear, they, too, can suffer from a lethal gene combination, which means that some chicks will die before hatching – a depressing prospect.
AGGRESSIVE CHICKENS
Whilst in the ‘hall of shame’ we should perhaps consider another difficult trait. Certain breeds can be aggressive, and this makes them a poor choice, especially for families. Breeds with aggressive behaviour include the Crevecoeur, New Hampshire Red, Dominique and Old English Game Fowl. The level of aggression will vary depending on the individual bird, but cockerels are always more likely to be aggressive than hens. < pic 12 with caption: An Oxford English Game Fowl: an attractive bird but with aggressive tendencies. >
COLLECTING CLEAN EGGS
It is always more pleasant to collect clean eggs, and the likelihood of this is increased if your birds are kept in clean, dry conditions with uncrowded nest boxes. You can clean an egg in a number of ways; in the commercial egg industry they are often cleaned using water, but if this is not done properly it can result in bacteria being sucked into the egg through the porous shell. If using water to clean eggs, dry them immediately and consume them quickly. You can clean an exceptionally dirty egg using fine-grade sandpaper, but you would be better off throwing it away to be on the safe side.
Anyone used to collecting their own eggs who has then had to buy some (even the free-range ones!) will immediately appreciate the difference: runny, pale-yolked eggs as opposed to your own birds’ solid and bright, yellow-yolked wonders. Fresh eggs are one of the real benefits of keeping chickens, and are to be prized, whether as a part of your own breakfast, as a gift to friends or family, or as something special and unique if you choose to sell any of your produce. Treat your hens well with a good supply of appropriate food, water and clean, dry shelter, and for most of the year they will repay you well with a good supply of eggs. There are very few creatures that can offer such an appealing payback in exchange for their keep.
https://homefarmer.co.uk/best-chicken-breeds-for-laying-eggs/