which breed would be the best for maximum amount of egg production?

Save the frogs
Save the frogs Posts: 40 ✭✭✭

Hi. My name is Michelle. I am from Long Island NY and am planning on starting my first chicken coop. I am nervous but excited. I would like to know which breeds would be the best for egg production. I want fat birds so they can't hop fences.

Best Answer

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin
    Answer ✓

    @Save the frogs Welcome here, Michelle!

    Please leave a short intro at the link below. It can help you connect with others near you.

    https://community.thegrownetwork.com/categories/introductions

    I will agree with @torey, fat and/large birds can fly over fences. There are a couple other things I can add to that...large birds will not give you maximum production, because their energy goes into getting & being large, and actual fat birds will stop laying.

    Clipping wings doesn't always work and needs to be repeated. If you decide to clip wings, make sure you don't clip too much or the wrong feathers. There are good tutorials & illustrations online. If you clip both wings, they can still fly easily. Clip one, and some will still figure out how to fly, albeit a bit more awkwardly. I don’t clip my birds' wings.

    You should put an avian netting over the top to prevent escapees. This is best because it protects from predators (aerial & land...cats, etc.) as Torey said.

    If you want maximum rate of lay, you will want the skinny, flighty birds (leghorn). If you don't mind a few less eggs, you could choose other breeds (Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpington, etc.) or hybrids (Golden Comet, ISA Brown, etc.) instead.

    Getting hatchery stock won't get you guaranteed traits, but buying from a reputable breeder will. Just be aware of that. I have found that as much as hatchery hybrids are popular, they seem to exhibit traits that I find undesirable, such as picking on each other, and I think more food waste. But, that said, you may like them. Many do.

    The following link has some good information, but also some mistaken information (I address this below).

    Americauna will get you blue eggs (only), Americana is one known as the Easter egger, which is a hybrid that will give you blue, green or pink eggs. The hatcheries only sell the Easter egger and will sell it by either name. Just be aware of the real difference. There is a lot of incorrect information online about these two. The Ameraucana is obviously worth more and many want to capitalize on people not knowing the difference.

    Marans will not lay the best, but if of good quality, will give you red (so dark terracotta brown) eggs. These you buy from a reputuable breeder. Be careful. There are many that aren't. If you desire the dark eggs, these birds that lay the darkest will lay less often, which enables them to have the darker "paint" on their eggs. To lay more means the color gets diluted.

    Here is a good part of our forum to learn more about all things chicken.

    https://community.thegrownetwork.com/categories/birds-%28land-fowl-waterfowl%29

    Here is a chicken chart comparing some breeds available:

    https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/843424/hendersons-chicken-chart

    I breed heritage birds: jersey giants, french black copper marans, erminette. I also keep silkies (I hope to keep doing these...the weasel that likes killing these especially needs to get caught...grr), as well as keep a few other birds (guinea fowl, peafowl, serama).

    You are wise to build a "skirt" around your run, and use welded hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. Being in the city, I'm assuming that rats might be an issue for you. You will be able to find information about these two things in the birds-landfowl-waterfowl link above.

Answers

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    Welcome to TGN's forum @Save the frogs. I'm going to leave this question for @LaurieLovesLearning. She is our chicken guru here and will be able to give you lots of advice with regards to chicken breeds; which are the best layers, best dual birds, hardiest, etc., etc.

    As to fat birds not hopping the fence, I have seen quite fat birds fly over fences pretty easily. If you are concerned about them getting out, a netting of some kind over your coop will assist as well as preventing predators (raptors) from getting in. Otherwise, you might have to clip their wings.

  • Save the frogs
    Save the frogs Posts: 40 ✭✭✭

    Thank you so much! you guys are such a wealth of information here!

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @Save the frogs welcome from me as well! I am sure you will get much information here.

    I recently bought a few hens so I am more or less in your shoes. I bought Amrock. They are supposed to lay well. I live in Austria, so I am not sure whether the chicken breeds are the same in Europe and the USA. Here they suggest Amrock, Australorp, cream legbar, exchequer leghorn, welsumer, barnevelder as good laying hens.

    I have followed the course in the network academy. It was very informative and practical. I loved it.

  • Save the frogs
    Save the frogs Posts: 40 ✭✭✭

    I just took the course in the acadamy as well. Great wealth of knowledge.

  • COWLOVINGIRL
    COWLOVINGIRL Posts: 954 ✭✭✭✭

    From what I hear leghorns and isa browns are supposed to lay a lot of eggs. Welcome to the forum!