Skip to main content

Chickens That Are Good Egg Layers

Image
By

Chickens that are good egg layers are called layer chickens. These chickens are raised mainly for eggs production. Nowadays, these layer chickens are getting popularity by both commercial and small scale farmers. Raising these chickens commercially is highly profitable, and also good for small scale farmers to produce enough eggs for their family consumption.

Actually raising chickens that are good egg layers can be incredibly rewarding. But at the same time choosing the right chicken breed for your production purpose is very important. There are numerous chicken breeds available which have varying egg production capabilities.

So, are you curious about the chickens that are good egg layers? If so, here we are going to discuss about some chickens that are good egg layers.

Chickens that are good egg layers

In terms of eggs production, not all the chickens are created equal. Like other farm animals, chickens are also of many different types and their eggs production ability vary depending upon the breed. Some of the breeds are very good for eggs production, some are good for producing meat, while some breeds are good for producing both meat and eggs. As your main goal is eggs production, so here we are going to discuss about top 10 chickens that are good egg layers.

chickens that are good egg layers

1. Leghorn

Leghorn is the most common and most popular egg-producing chicken breed. The breed was named after a town in Italy where it was originated from. Leghorn chickens are actually well-known and popular for their excellent ability to convert feed into eggs efficiently.

Today, many different varieties of Leghorn chickens are available. But the 'heritage" variety is more suitable for a backyard environment. If you want to have continuous eggs production for your family consumption, then you can consider this chicken breed. A Leghorn hen can lay around 280 to 320 medium sized and white colored eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, leghorn chicken

2. Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Red chickens are noted for their gentle behavior and they are also excellent for eggs production. Rhode Island Red hens lay large brown eggs. It is the most popular chicken breed in the United States for eggs production. Along with high eggs production, the breed is also good for meat production purpose. It is actually a dual-purpose chicken breed. The breed is suitable for both commercial and small scale production. Their eggs are of medium size and are of brown color. A hen can typically lay between 200 to 300 eggs per year, and typically start laying eggs at around their 18 to 20 weeks of age.

chickens that are good egg layers, rhode island red chicken

3. Australorp

Australorp is another excellent egg laying chicken breed. It is noted for it's high eggs production and black and green, iridescent feathers. Currently the Australorp chicken is very popular in many countries throughout the world, and it is good for both commercial and small scale production. An Australorp hen can lay between 200 to 250 brown colored eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, australorp chicken

4. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is an excellent egg layer and it is among the most popular chicken breeds in the United States. Plymouth rocks are not among the best egg layers, but they produce good number of eggs and it is considered as a good breed for small scale or family production. They are large in size and are also good for producing meat. The breed is not suitable for commercial eggs production purpose. Average eggs production of this breed is typically around 200 eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, plymouth rock chicken

5. Orpington

Orpington is another popular egg laying chicken breed. It is noted for it's quick maturing capability, friendly temperature, and ease of caring. It is actually a dual-purpose breed and good for both meat and eggs production purpose. The breed was developed in Britain and it is also popular in many other countries. On an average, the Orpington hens can lay around or up to 200 eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, orpington chicken

6. Red Star

Red Star chickens are very good layers. They are noted for one special feature, and that is 'you can easily identify the gender of a chick after hatching'. Red Star is a hybrid variety of chicken which was created by crossing two specific chicken breeds. The Red Star hens are able to produce around or up to 300 eggs in a year.

7. Spanish

The Spanish is another good egg laying chicken breed. It was first imported to the United States in the 1850s from Asia. Along with eggs production, the breed is also noted for it's beauty. A Spanish hen can typically lay between 180 to 200 eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, spanish chicken

8. Sussex

Sussex chicken is also a British breed like Orpington. It is a multi-purpose breed which is used for meat production, eggs production, and also for poultry shows. A Sussex hen can lay around or up to 250 eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, sussex chicken

9. Chantecler

The Chantecler is a very strong and hardy chicken breed which was developed in Canada in the early 1900s. It is also docile in nature which makes it ideal for backyard keeping. These chickens have small combs and wattles, which make it well suited to colder climates. The hens can typically lay about 200-220 eggs per year.

chickens that are good egg layers, chantecler chicken

10. Wyandotte

The Wyandotte is a large breed of chicken which lay good number of eggs, especially the Golden Laced variety. Along with good numbers of eggs production, the breed is also very good for producing meat. The Wyandotte hens can lay typically around 200 eggs per year. Their eggs are of brown color.

chickens that are good egg layers, wyandotte chicken

Heritage vS. commercial chicken breeds

Heritage breeds are excellent choice for small farms or backyard farmers who want to keep several chickens for their family eggs consumption. They lay eggs longer than most of the commercial breeds. Some common and popular heritage chicken breeds are Plymouth Rock, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Salmon Faverolle, Americana, Buff Orpington, Australorp, Dominique, Dorking, Jersey Giant, Catalana, Minorca, Rhode Island Red etc.

On the other hand, commercial chicken breeds are mostly hybrids which have been developed for improved eggs production. These breeds are excellent for commercial farms. Some highly productive commercial chicken breeds are Australorp, Leghorns, ISA Browns and so on. Most of these breeds are able to produce up to 300 eggs per year.

Why some chicken breeds lay more eggs than others?

Actually, there is no single answer of this question, and several factors can influence the number of eggs your chickens lay. But one of the most significant reason for this is improved breeding management. Poultry enthusiasts have developed some breeds through selective breeding for enhanced eggs production. That's why some chicken breeds lay more eggs than others.

What factor influence eggs production in chickens?

Again, there is no single answer of this question. There are several factors that influence total eggs production in chickens. Eggs production from a hen depends on age, breed, nutrition, lighting, environment, stress etc.

These are the information we wanted to share with you regarding the chickens that are good egg layers. Some good egg layers are Leghorns, Lohman Brown, Australorps, Black Star, ISA Browns, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, Wyandotte etc. You can choose any of these breeds depending upon your own preference and production purpose. Hope this guide has helped you. Consider sharing it with your friends and family members if you find it helpful. Good luck and may God bless you!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Murray Grey Cattle

By
The Murray Grey cattle are a breed of beef cattle from Australia. It was developed in the upper Murray River valley on the New South Wales. The breed was developed in 1905 from an initial chance mating of a black Aberdeen Angus bull and a roan Shorthorn cow during the Federation drought. From these matings the resulting thirteen dun-grey calves were kept as curiosities. And then Peter and Ena Sutherland bred them on the Thologolong property along the Murray River in New South Wales. Murray Grey cattle grew faster and were good converters of feed and produced quality carcases. These are the reasons this animals become very popular after their development. And local farmers became interested soon in these animals and began breeding them. The first large scale commercial farms were established in the 1940s. Today the breed is available in many countries. Both live Murray Grey cattle and embryos have been exported to many countries such as Canada, South America, New Ze...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sorting Cattle

By
Sorting cattle is important if you have a large number of animals. For better management you will need to separate the animals into different groups depending on their age, size, gender or condition score. If some cattle of your herd need to be examined by a veterinarian or confined due to injury or illness, then separation may also need to be done. Sorting is also needed for separating the calves that need to be weaned from their mothers. And separating the bulls is also necessary after they have done their duty with breeding cows. Sorting Cattle Sorting cattle is not actually a difficult task. It can be done easily if you understand stockmanship principles that take advantage of bovine psychology and behavior. However, here we are describing more about the ways of sorting cattle. Sorting From a Squeeze Chute In this system you can move your cattle through a working corral into a chute system into the squeeze. In this system you can check and process animals f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Andalusian Black Cattle Farming

By
Andalusian Black cattle farming is not too popular, even in it's native area. It is a relatively rare breed which is valued for meat production. But today, the breed is listed as 'endangered', and total number of the breed is very less. The Andalusian Black cattle is a taurine cattle breed, and it was originated in west Andalusia, Spain. It is also known by some other names such as Negra de las Campiñas, Negra Campiñesa and Spanish: Negra Andaluza. The Andalusian Black cattle is actually a beef cattle breed which is raised primarily for meat production purpose. The breed is found in two main areas of west Andalusia (from Cordova to the foothills of the Sierra Morena), and in the provinces of Seville, Cádiz and Huelva. Today, total population of the Andalusian Black cattle breed is very less. And there were about 800 purebred cattle in the year of 2007. Total number of this breed decreased mainly for crossbreeding with other local cattle breeds. Other reason...
Post a Comment
Read more

Belted Galloway Cattle Farming

By
Belted Galloway cattle farming is popular, especially in it's native area. It is a beef cattle breed and raised mainly for meat production purpose. The breed is also known by some other names such as Beltie, Oreo Cow and Panda Cow. The Belted Galloway cattle breed was originated from Galloway in the west side of Southern Scotland. It is a heritage breed, and is well adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and wildswept moorlands of the region. Exact origins of the breed are unclear. But it is often surmised that the white belt of the breed may be a result of cross breeding with the Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle. And the breed is named so mainly because of the belt. An association for the breed named the Belted Galloway Association was formed in 1921 in Scotland. And the name of the association was changed to Belted Galloway Society in the year of 1951. The association keeps and records pedigrees for Belted Galloways and oversees the registration of White and Re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cleaning A Cow

By
Cleaning a cow in the proper way can keep the animal look and feel fresh. Cleaning also help to prevent external parasites. You may also need to clean your cow to show it off at your local county fair or other occasions. And you need to clean your cows more often especially if you have dairy cows. You can integrate a spraying system for cleaning a cow once a day or so. Along with cleaning the body, you should also provide a footbath for better health of the cow's hooves. However, here we are describing more about the process of cleaning a cow. Sprinkler System Add Sprinkler in a Pre-milking Wash Pen You can construct a pre-milking wash pen with sprinklers for cleaning multiple cows. In this system, install sprinklers all along the pen you hold the cows in before milking. Using concrete for the floor will be good. It will help to keep the floor dry quickly and you will not have a constantly muddy area. You should spray sprinklers both up and down to wash the cows th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Agerolese Cattle Farming

By
Agerolese cattle farming is not common, even in it's native area. It is a dairy cattle breed which is raised mainly for milk production purpose in it's native area. It is a pretty rare breed and not available outside it's native area. The Agerolese cattle is actually from the area of Agerola, in Campania in southern Italy. It was developed from cross-breeding of indigenous Podolica cattle with Bruna Italiana, Italian Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cattle. The breed is particularly associated with the Sorrento Peninsula and Monti Lattari. The Agerolese cattle is one of the 16 minor Italian cattle breeds of limited diffusion recognized and protected by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, the Italian ministry of agriculture. There were a total of 200 animals available according to a census completed on 1 January 2002. And the conservation status of the Agerolese cattle breed was reported by the FAO as 'endangered-maintained' in 200...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ankole-Watusi Cattle Farming

By
Ankole-Watusi cattle farming is pretty popular, especially in it's native area. It is a multi-purpose breed of domestic cattle which is raised and valued for show, draught, meat and milk production purpose. The Ankole-Watusi cattle is a landrace breed, a type of Sanga cattle and originally native to East Africa. It is also known as Ankole Longhorn, and also sometimes known simply as Ankole or Watusi. Ankole-Watusi cattle is actually an ancient breed, and ancient rock paintings and depictions of these animals have been observed in the Sahara region and in the Egyptian arts and pyramid walls. The Sanga breed has spread to the Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and some other parts of Eastern Africa, becoming the base stock of the indigenous African cattle populations. It has most of the usual Zebu characteristics such as the pendulous dewlap and sheath, hump of variable size and the upturned horns. The Ankole-Watusi cattle have played a very important role in the lives of various ...
Post a Comment
Read more