{"id":1120,"date":"2019-01-23T13:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T19:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chikchikchicken.com\/?p=1120"},"modified":"2021-02-02T14:39:20","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T20:39:20","slug":"best-egg-laying-chickens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chikchikchicken.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/23\/best-egg-laying-chickens\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Egg Laying Chickens"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meat birds or Broilers are usually culled between 8-10 weeks. They don\u2019t live much longer than 12-14 weeks. Their hearts will give out or their legs will break from their weight. Egg laying chickens don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet our girls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trudy – our white Leghorn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Trudy, our top hen, is a white Leghorn. She\u2019s very intelligent and a little bossy! Leghorns are excellent layers, laying between 280 and 320 eggs per year. They\u2019re relatively small birds weighing between 4-5 lbs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trudy is skittish and a little high strung. She doesn\u2019t like to be held but will get up in my lap for a short period of time when I\u2019m sitting outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leghorns tolerate cold and heat well. Although it\u2019s reported that <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leghorns generally lay medium to large eggs, Trudy\u2019s are large to extra-large and white. Trudy stays busy most of the day foraging and watching for predators. She\u2019ll alert the girls if anything unusual is around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buttercup – our Golden Comet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u00a0This 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Trixie – our Buckeye<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Trixie is a Buckeye, a dual-purpose chicken. \u00a0Buckeyes lay between 200-240 eggs per year and weigh 6-7 lbs. Being a dual-purpose chicken, we could eat her, but WON\u2019T. She happens to be the Bearded Rooster\u2019s favorite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has a pea size comb so tolerates cold well. \u00a0We have to watch her in the summer that she doesn\u2019t get overheated. \u00a0Trixie is extremely friendly and very active. \u00a0She\u2019s our hunter and will catch anything including mice, snakes, geckos, and lizards. \u00a0I\u2019ve seen her swallow a whole lizard in one bite! She loves to follow the Bearded Rooster around, especially in the garden when he\u2019s working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hazel – our Golden Laced Wyandotte<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s fourth in line in the pecking order and rarely picks a fight with any of the other girls. Hazel\u2019s eggs are brown with a hint of pink and are medium to large. She\u2019ll lay 200-240 eggs per year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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Marble – our Barred Rock<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Marble is our Barred Plymouth Rock, one of the oldest breeds of chickens. She is very nosy and friendly. She\u2019s one of the first to run out to see what you\u2019re doing. \u00a0Also, 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barred Rocks are also cold hardy and she won\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Clara – our Olive Egger<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Clara is our Olive Egger. The Bearded Rooster wanted to add some color to our eggs. Clara\u2019s are an olive-green. She\u2019s bred for egg-laying and will lay around 200 per year. She’s on the smaller side weighing 5- 6lbs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s a sweet, quiet bird so it\u2019s no wonder she\u2019s at the bottom. \u00a0A little flighty so it\u2019s rare that we are able to hold her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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\u2019s really a toss-up on what you\u2019ll get. An Easter Egger carries the blue egg gene. Their eggs can be blue, green, or pink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here\u2019s a list of other great egg laying chickens:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Speckled Sussex -dual purpose – 250-300 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhode Island Red \u2013 dual purpose\u2013 250-280 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isa Brown – 260-280 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden Buff \u2013 260 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ameraucana- 250 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Sexlink – dual purpose – 250 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australorp – dual purpose – 250 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Hampshire Red \u2013 dual purpose -200 eggs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> for a list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> 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.<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn money on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n