Topic: whats the best breed?

[luap]

hello all
 i want to get 6 hens for my garden but i dont know what type to buy.Just want easiest to look after but good layers :-\
  thanks

[kt.]

I have 5 Black Rocks and 5 White Leghorns.  They are a little more expensive than others at £10 each or £8 for 6 of each.  They are supposed to lay for 5 years and more.  They have just come back into lay for their third year and I am getting 8-9 eggs daily from my 10 hens.  Through December I was getting 2-3 some days as it was cold and also their moult time.  Both are supposed to lay around 280-300 eggs per year.

My lottie neighbour has 20 Isa Browns at £4 each.  They have laid almost 20 eggs daily for 1 year,  he was even getting 14-15 in winter months.  They are now starting to moult so he is getting rid to purchase the next batch.  They will not lay anywhere near as many after their moult so he says are not worth keeping. 

He is like me - hens are for producing eggs, not pets.  When they stop laying they go the journey.  They will be replace if they ain't producing the goods ::)  So it depends what you want from them really.  Corel Nicks are supposed to be excellent layers, laying around 330 eggs per year.  They will be my next batch after mine stop laying.

[luap]

forgot to ask day old or point of lay?

[kt.]

forgot to ask day old or point of lay?

Buy point of lay.  If not you are up and down to the plot for 5 months feeding them daily before you get your first egg.  At least point of lay they usually start within a fortnight.  Saves you the hassle of different foods etc too.  Hens usually do not start to lay until 18-20 weeks.  Some breeds start as late as 24-25 weeks.  Worth checking before you buy.  Also check out how long they are expected to lay for; and how many eggs they lay per year.
Some breeds only lay 120 eggs per year.  Do you want one egg for every 3 days of feed or do you want an average of one egg per day per feed.  (Except through the moult obviously).

[littlebabybird]

Corel Nicks,

kt what are these?

[greenfists]

We've always had Warrens. Robust, eat anything and good reliable layers.
Alot of rescue ones are Warrens.
I think they are bred from Rhode Island Reds but I'm not sure.
We have 4 at the moment and have been getting at least 2 eggs per day right through the winter.

[growmore]

I would agree with Greenfists .Warrens are good layers and their temperament is good too.
KT. If your neighbours hens have only laid for a year they are worth getting as their second years laying is almost as good as their first and you don't get no little pullet eggs the second year ...It's after their second year their laying tails off somewhat.
 

[Inky]

That does sound a bit previous getting rid after first moult, you normally get 2 years of good production before tailing off, and even then a lot of hybrids will lay well for another couple of years.
Hybrids are your best bet not purebreeds, and they are all much of a like in terms of productivity. Although I find white stars (leghorn hybrids) to be best, they lay a lot of double yokers too and pure white eggs, although they are flighty and hardest to handle normally. Also you can get Jasmines/Columbines Which are Arucana Hybrids, and they lay blue or green eggs. I like a nice mix of girls as I get a good multicoloured egg box, which proves quite a turning point (plus easier to identify whos who!

[GodfreyRob]

Agree with inky there - get a mix and its easier to sell the eggs to friends/family (as well as identifying who laid what). We have a group including a white silkie, a black rock, 2 bluebelles and a columbine. So the eggs are all sizes and colours.

I have a speckledys that lays nice dark brown eggs too. The 2 Cream Legbars lay nice blue eggs but only for about 5 months of the year :(

If you get all your hens round about the same time they will quickly work out a pecking order and settle down - its a bit trickier getting more after that as they can be quite brutal to newcomers for a while.

[Inky]

My multicoloured egg collection, one from each girl

[kt.]

Corel Nicks,

kt what are these?

The corel nicks are half way down the page.

[luap]

thanks for all the info,probably going to get them of this chap,he's only 10 miles away
www.professionalpoultry.co.uk/  ;D

[Old bird]

luap

Have you considered ex battery chickens?

I see that you are N Devon - the Battery Hen Welfare Trust is just a few miles down the road at Chulmleigh and you can get  a 1 to 11/2 year old.  They are innoculated against just about everything - they continue to lay like it is going out of fashion are friendly and they cost £1 each!  I know that they have some coming out of the battery farm on 23rd March - you would have to book them though!  I have had mine for a year now and they lay and lay and lay!

Incidentally - where are you in N Devon?

Old Bird

 ;D

[luap]

old bird im in barnstaple,where in minehead is your lottie,is it where they are building the hospital?
ps we bought 4 18 week olds,1grey 1white 1black and 1 red as wanted by my 7 year old pest (daughter) ;D