Which chickens are the best egg layers

Easter Eggers range widely in color variations. They tend to be brown and have flecks of other colors on their feathers. They are known to resemble a hawk, thus tend to be a favorite free-range chicken. Easter Eggers have a reputation for being a friendlier bird. With that being said, their temperament spans widely across the spectrum. While the above chicken breeds are most likely to lay lots of eggs, there are also a few other breeds with reputations for great egg-laying.

These include:. Many things can affect how many eggs a chicken lays. Their diet, age, and access to daylight are all important.

You can see in the graph, once a chicken hits the age of three, the amount of eggs it lays really slows down. If your chicken laid eggs in its first year, it would only lay eggs by the third year. Chickens need around 20 grams of protein every day for them to keep laying eggs. To ensure your chickens are getting plenty of protein, make sure you feed them layers of pellets.

Layer pellets have been manufactured to contain all the key minerals, nutrients, and minerals that hens require. If you are looking to increase the amount of protein your chickens get, read 9 Healthy Treats Your Chickens Will Love. In addition to a good diet, chickens need at least 14 hours of daylight to lay eggs. To ensure they get this amount of daylight, make sure you are letting them out as close to the sunrise as possible- even if it means those early morning starts!

I would never do this because chickens need this downtime during the winter for their body to recover. Still, have some questions about chicken breeds that will lay lots of eggs? Or maybe you want some of the information above in a more compact form. These FAQs should give you the answers you need. The chicken breeds that lay the most eggs include white leghorns, Sussexes, gold lines or hybrids, Plymouth Rocks, and Rhode Island Reds.

Now remember no matter what breed you have, you always want to make sure their coop is protected. In fact, we recommend some of the best automatic chicken coop doors. The Australorp holds the current record for laying the most eggs per year. Any other breed mentioned above is also a strong contender. Most of the chickens on this list lay eggs a year, including Isa Browns, Rhode Island reds, Australorps, Leghorns, and speckled Sussexes.

The most eggs ever laid in a day were seven. A white leghorn holds the record for most eggs laid in a year, with in just days. Fart eggs are eggs without yolks. They are also called wind eggs or dwarf eggs. Fart eggs tend to be round and small, very similar to marbles or grapes. Disclosure : We may earn affiliate commissions at no cost to you from the links on this page. This did not affect our assessment of products.

Read more here and find full disclosure here. Having a crazy mixed-Up flock is so much fun. You can have many types of gentle natured breeds in the same flock. Although, larger flocks often form competitive cliques, with a lead hen, that is often smarter, more pushy or bossy than th e others.

About 50 yrs now! My primary flock is 12 Hens, 1 rooster my rooster lays eggs too! He is a hermaphrodite one hen or another has always gone broody, all considering, I get 9 — 11 eggs A DAY! Despite being ancient , heritage, or original all American breeds.. I was not familiar with all the different breeds available. One of the last chickens I got, was under a year old, as a house warming gift, from my brother-in-law, began to lay eggs, the very day she arrived , from her nearly mile journey here!

This is not a standard, recognized, Cochin colouration. Cochins were used in developing Pekins, or vice-versa, Pekins were used to develop the Cochin standard, not really , very, sure there.

It gets longer into creative sub lists. But not me. He just wants his darn garage back from the flock!! My son wanted lots of different chicks. So he ordered of different breeds. Even some bantam breeds. All did well. Yes u can but if they are broody they cross breed with other chickens and make different type of chicks!! Broody refers to a hen sitting on a brood of eggs, attempting to hatch them out.

We have a chicken that adopted us. She came from our neighbor and just never went back. She lays an egg a day. We believe she is a Black Astralop. We decided to get babies and raise more. I have 16 hens two of each of my favorite breeds. Makes colorful egg collecting. I average from 8 to 10 eggs each day. Some of my hen are four years old. I just got my chicks today. I was raised on a farm in Iowa n now in Houston Tx. I have always wanted some for brooding n eggs. They will have free range in my back yard.

Claire, how do you handle all the sick chickens. I have two sick and three coughing. How do I fix them? Are they physically being sick? Also in Houston and just last week bought 8 pullets for my back yard flock. It usually takes about 6 months for your chicks to fully mature and to be regularly laying eggs.

However, you can expect your flock to start slowly laying eggs any time now. Not necessarily. Red stars and black stars. Shes very funny and helps me clean every day and then shows me how to go into the nest box. Hillarious she is. Maybe breeding more for egg production has changed them.. No they should be used to it if you do it often. If they are broody they can be a little rambunctious.

There is no rhyme or reason cause we keep our chickens as happy as possible. Ours were the same, I think it was because they got to egg laying age just as winter set in. All started laying once the days got longer though? White leghorns! This breeds is extremely healthy and is bred for just laying eggs. They took about 5 months to fully mature and our happy chickens with happy owners. My chickens started laying at just over four months of age, and the first eggs were so small!

Within a couple months the eggs got so much larger. I have barred rocks and they are very charming and friendly, they run to my voice and their favorite treat is Cheerios. That is adorable! I hope I can train my chickens to be as obedient as yours! Maybe once or twice a month I get 8 or 9 eggs. I have Amber Stars and Amber Whites. I was laughing whilst reading your post about Broody chickens.

They are a hybrid and incredibly docile and love attention. Beautiful, calm birds. I sit for two hours each evening with them, not including the time I spend during the day cleaning their baths or coop or refreshing water, lol.

I already have one that went broody. I had to move her to another coop because the one they are in normally is high off the ground and I read the chicks could die from falling out of the coop while young. So I made my original coop into a maternity coop, lol. She is on day 6 with these eggs but when she was in the other coop, she spent two days in one nest then moved to another nest and spent two days there and then moved back to the original nest and thats when I decided she needed her own coop.

Not sure if she was getting up to get water and food and another hen would sit in her coop so she moved or she just moved. I found her one night in one of the bathtubs, squatting. I cannot begin to describe my joy and love of my girls and the rooster.

Truly the blessings are all mine. Thanks for getting in touch Leighe! It sounds like you are very lucky indeed- most of us would kill for an egg supply like that! Keep in touch and let us know if your eggs hatch, Claire. Has anyone bought great chicks from Alamo Hay and Grain? I am thinking of buying some, should I also get a rooster?

Finally, do they have Golden Comet chickens? Hi Mark, Take a look through our blog and we have a lot of advice about feeding! I enjoyed all your comments, we are going to tray our hand at raising chickens. Any other advice is appreciated. Some chicks are all black, some are white and some are cream. Congratulations that is great news. But found a hen she looks just like a Buff Orpington laying eggs in a small grassy area in the corner of our front porch.

She just got off her eggs today and there were 23 eggs there! Is this normal! Wow that sounds like a great find Michele! I have 2 red leghorns that are 5 weeks old.

They were supposed to be sexed pullets. Are there any tell tale signs I should look for besides the comb? What is their behavior like- are they pushy and dominating the other chicks? This would be a tell tale sign of a rooster!

Hi Jackie, Thank you for getting in touch. Very nice Article. I currently have 16 chickens and own a few different breeds. That being said, I must say the Sussex, Leghorns, and Barnevelder recently passed , have laid the best! But none can replace our White Leghorn for production! She is also the most friendly, seeing as we hatched her ourselves and have handled her since day one. Hi, there! I gave a Buff Orpington and a Red Star, which are both 2 years old.

What do you recommend? My family about to receive our first set of four hens, thank you for posting the site this is been most helpful! They are hybrids and the farm said both breeds good layers. Any advice? All three seem happy, have grown well, red combs etc. Infact, the black one is the biggest. Hi Clare, So the black hen is around 25 weeks old now? Let me know how you get on, Claire. The newspaper stuck to the eggs and sometimes the ink transferred onto the egg shells.

Hi am thinking of getting 2 hens as just going to get medium coop. Need to be very friendly as I have 6 grandchildren who would love to help me look after them as pets and for they eggs of course. Which hens would be best for me? Hi Carol, My favorites are the Rhode Island Red and they have a very docile personality so will be great with the grandchildren! Good luck, Claire. I have just started with chickens and have a mixed group of eight, but mainly orpington and rhode island red.

Also have black and a pure white but cannot remember what type they are although they did tell me. They are doing really well and seem very happy eating, drinking and are outside all day on free range.

I have 28 chickens. They were free ranging and always laid 24 eggs per day. Now they only lay 20 to 24 per day. They are all first year layers.

Any insight on this? Hi Vicki, When chickens free roam they get a lot of key minerals from the ground. Check out our 5 reasons to love Plymouth Rocks here! The Sussex is a famous British breed of chicken that nearly died out in the early 20th century, if it were not for one farmer, who had the last remaining flock of Sussex chickens, which he had been breeding for ten years. These beautiful birds weigh approximately kg and produce between eggs annually.

They are confident, curious and friendly laying hens that come in a vast array of spectacular varieties, such as buff, speckled and white, just to name a few. The Welsummer is a remarkably attractive breed of laying hen that was created in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 20th century in a town known as Welsum- which is of course where it borrows its name from.

This is in large part due to its glossy feathers, high tail and attractive shape. Additionally, these in-demand birds also produce upwards of terracotta coloured eggs each year. They are active and alert foragers that need plenty of stimulation otherwise their energies will turn towards more destructive behaviours.

The Wyandotte is a hardy, robust, no-nonsense kind of laying hen. They were bred by Americans in the 19th century to be an attractive and sturdy yet practical bird and they have become just that. The Wyandotte laying hen is both popular with backyard poultry keepers, as well as those chicken gurus who partake in the competitive world of poultry shows. These birds come in a range of different colours, weigh between 2.

There is so much to consider before choosing your chooks. When deciding on the egg-layers you want, the options can be eggstremely overwhelming. From egg size, colour to production rate - where should you begin? Cluckily, our friends over at Chickenpedia have created an amazing Chicken Breeds Course.

You will even learn about their distinct personalities, and be able to use their family-friendly compatibility scale through this well-structured program. It really is a great way to discover your perfect backyard buddies which is why I highly recommend them to all of my readers! The courses are beginner-friendly and filled with essential information to help you raise a happy, healthy flock.

We all want to do an eggcellent job when caring for our feathered friends. Many keepers struggle to handle chicken health or behaviour issues, especially in the first few years of having a flock. From healthcare to raising baby chicks to feeding and behavior , get the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your flock. As a member, you will get access to ALL their fantastic courses.

So, no need to wing it, become a confident chicken keeper. Click here to check out Chickenpedia today! There are so many unique qualities that each different breed of laying hens possess. Many owners find themselves keeping a wide range of chickens, and not just laying hens- some people like oddball combinations like Isa Browns, with Silkie chickens and maybe a Jersey Giant and Australorp thrown into the mix as well.

Diversify your Taj Mahal , Penthouse or Mansion coop with the most interesting varieties of chooks available. If you're ever worried that your hens may have stopped laying, be sure to read this very informative article here. Just click the Request Help button and fill in the form. Ask an Expert. Thank you for joining our mailing list! All Rights Reserved. Menu 0. Continue Shopping Your Cart is Empty. Breeds Chickens Eggs. But first… No matter what breed of laying hens you get, quantity and quality of eggs all depend on your chickens leading happy lives with excellent nutrition.

It is a very hardy breed and lays large, white eggs, and you can get about each year, as long as they stay warm and have enough food and water. They also fare well better as a penned or coop bird, but during the summer, they can go free-range and do quite well. That is because the temperature is warm, and the birds can forage a lot. Generally, they are quite flighty and nervous birds. The chicken can weigh up to five pounds, and it usually starts laying eggs around 16 to 17 weeks old.

If you want the best chickens for eggs, then the Golden Comet chicken is another ideal choice. It prefers to be free-range, plus the eggs are colored brown. If you prefer this chicken breed, it would be great to add some other chicken breeds in your backyard since it can tolerate other birds quite well. The Golden Comet can also be great pets! There is no broodiness, and it tends to be quiet and gentle with a friendly disposition.

The chicken can weigh between five and 7. When it comes to a chicken that can produce a lot of eggs, the Rhode Island Red is an excellent choice. These birds are excellent foragers, so they can do well as free-range chickens, plus you can pen them up, but you have to move the pen around frequently to provide enough foraging materials. While these birds are quite hardy, they can get a little bossy at times, especially if there are smaller chickens with them. As such, you might want to keep them separated from other chicken species.

Though their temperament is a bit on the angry side, they look beautiful. The chicken weighs about 6. Those who want a fun bird to have around are going to like the Ameraucana chicken. You should be aware, though, that this breed does have a genetic disorder called crossed beak that occurs in about one in baby chicks.

The chicken can produce around eggs each year, though it has a broody temperament. It weighs about 4. One of many excellent chicken breeds for eggs is the Golden Laced Wyandotte. They produce huge eggs, which can work well for many households and needs.

The good news is that these beautiful birds are calm and gentle with a docile temperament. The Golden Laced Wyandotte is also excellent at foraging, which means they are one of the best breeds for free-range options.

The chicken can produce about eggs each year. Plus, the female weighs about six pounds and can start laying eggs between 18 and 20 weeks old. These birds are also very good at foraging, which makes them ideal for free-range chickens.

Generally, these birds produce about eggs a year, and they are peach or light brown in color. They lay nearly eggs per year, lay all year, and are cold and heat tolerant. Another of the best chicken breeds for eggs is the Buff Orpington. Even the name is fun to say!

These beautiful, big birds are quite good as pets, too. Those who have kids or want a chicken as a pet will greatly benefit from this breed because of its friendly nature. Plus, the chicken does very well in confined spaces, such as a coop or pen. With the right circumstances, these chickens could be free-range birds, too.

Keep in mind these birds need appropriate shelter because the coats retain moisture and are fluffy.