Best Egg Laying Chickens

Thinking about getting chickens? Chick days are right around the corner. Did you know there are chickens bred for meat only, egg laying, and then there are dual purpose chickens? I had no idea before owning backyard chickens.

Meat birds or Broilers are usually culled between 8-10 weeks. They don’t live much longer than 12-14 weeks. Their hearts will give out or their legs will break from their weight. Egg laying chickens don’t have enough meat to make it worth your time to eat. Dual purpose chickens are larger than the traditional egg layers but not as big as meat birds. Half of our girls are dual purpose.

My husband, the Bearded Rooster, wanted chickens for years. His main reason was for eggs and taking the next step to becoming self-sufficient. He did a lot of research for the best egg laying chickens.  

Meet our girls

Trudy – our white Leghorn

Trudy, our top hen, is a white Leghorn. She’s very intelligent and a little bossy! Leghorns are excellent layers, laying between 280 and 320 eggs per year. They’re relatively small birds weighing between 4-5 lbs.

Trudy is skittish and a little high strung. She doesn’t like to be held but will get up in my lap for a short period of time when I’m sitting outside.

Leghorns tolerate cold and heat well. Although it’s reported that

Leghorns generally lay medium to large eggs, Trudy’s are large to extra-large and white. Trudy stays busy most of the day foraging and watching for predators. She’ll alert the girls if anything unusual is around.

 

 

Buttercup – our Golden Comet

Buttercup is a Golden Comet and bred to lay eggs. Golden Comets are a hybrid, the offspring of a New Hampshire Red and a White Rock. They weigh between 4-6 lbs. so there is not much meat to eat.

Being a hybrid, it’s rare that she will go broody. It’s been bred out of her. She lays large to extra-large brown eggs and will lay 250-300 per year.  This breed is usually one of the first to lay, around 16 weeks. She has a single comb and will do well in cold or hot weather. Buttercup is friendly, very energetic, and second in the pecking order.

 

 

 

 

Trixie – our Buckeye

Trixie is a Buckeye, a dual-purpose chicken.  Buckeyes lay between 200-240 eggs per year and weigh 6-7 lbs. Being a dual-purpose chicken, we could eat her, but WON’T. She happens to be the Bearded Rooster’s favorite.

She has a pea size comb so tolerates cold well.  We have to watch her in the summer that she doesn’t get overheated.  Trixie is extremely friendly and very active.  She’s our hunter and will catch anything including mice, snakes, geckos, and lizards.  I’ve seen her swallow a whole lizard in one bite! She loves to follow the Bearded Rooster around, especially in the garden when he’s working.

 

 

Hazel – our Golden Laced Wyandotte

Hazel is our Golden Laced Wyandotte. She is absolutely gorgeous and a real sweetie. The Wyandotte’s name comes from a North American Indian tribe. They are friendly, docile birds.

She’s fourth in line in the pecking order and rarely picks a fight with any of the other girls. Hazel’s eggs are brown with a hint of pink and are medium to large. She’ll lay 200-240 eggs per year.

Wyandottes are also dual purpose and will weigh between 7-8 lbs. She has a rose comb so tolerates cold weather as well.

 

 

Marble – our Barred Rock

Marble is our Barred Plymouth Rock, one of the oldest breeds of chickens. She is very nosy and friendly. She’s one of the first to run out to see what you’re doing.  Also, a dual-purpose, she weighs 7-8 lbs. and will lay 240-280 large brown eggs per year. She has been our most consistent layer lately, laying every day. I should make an egg tracker to track what the girls are really laying.

Barred Rocks are also cold hardy and she won’t hesitate to get in the baby pool when hot. Marble is fifth in the pecking order and only picks on Clara. However, when the Bearded Rooster has live mealworms, she will knock everyone over.

 

 

Clara – our Olive Egger

Clara is our Olive Egger. The Bearded Rooster wanted to add some color to our eggs. Clara’s are an olive-green. She’s bred for egg-laying and will lay around 200 per year. She’s on the smaller side weighing 5- 6lbs.

Olive Eggers and Easter Eggers are recognized by their ear tufts and beard. Since Clara is at the bottom of the pecking order we have to make sure she gets enough to eat. All the girls run her off especially Marble!

She’s a sweet, quiet bird so it’s no wonder she’s at the bottom.  A little flighty so it’s rare that we are able to hold her.

 

 

When all the girls are laying, we get 4-6 eggs per day. On average around 3 dozen a week. When you buy chicks at your local farm store or TSC during chick days, it’s really a toss-up on what you’ll get. An Easter Egger carries the blue egg gene. Their eggs can be blue, green, or pink.

 

 

Here’s a list of other great egg laying chickens:

Speckled Sussex -dual purpose – 250-300 eggs

Rhode Island Red – dual purpose– 250-280 eggs

Isa Brown – 260-280 eggs

Golden Buff – 260 eggs

Ameraucana- 250 eggs

Black Sexlink – dual purpose – 250 eggs

Australorp – dual purpose – 250 eggs

New Hampshire Red – dual purpose -200 eggs

If you are wanting chickens for eggs, have you thought about what you will do in a few years when they quit laying. Many people like the dual purpose for this reason. After the bird quits laying, you can cull and eat. The Bearded Rooster and I have decided to let our girls live out their lives, helping us control bugs and pest plus composting.

If you are looking for a specific breed, there are several online hatcheries that will ship. You might want to consider ordering a heritage breed. These are original breeds that are endangered and some face extinction.   Check out the livestock conservancy for a list.

Before buying chickens, be sure and do some research for the ones that will do well in your climate and in the type of space you have. My Pet Chicken has a great tool to help you pick the perfect chicken. If you are new to chickens, be sure and check out my blog on setting up your chicken coop.  

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