Many hens few eggs

[NH Homesteader]

I love my Dominiques but they are not that great layers, I wouldn't get them if my primary concern was egg laying. Barred Rocks are better for that, and they're pretty good temperament wise too. I can't stand RIR, personally (I know others here love them lol)

 

[sumi]

I heard a lot of different opinions on the egg laying performance of different breeds, but I think a lot has to do with the quality of the breeding stock, feeding, etc, etc. I had a few RIR and I absolutely adored them. Really sweet birds and good layers. Here's my favourite one (enough said)

 

[FarmerJamie]

I had great luck with Barred Rocks. Production was steady, temperament was laid back (they went mouse hunting with the Jack Russell), like little dogs most of the time.

Experimented with a bunch of the other brown egg layers listed. The BRs seemed the best here for the NE Ohio weather

 

[tortoise]

I like Barred or Buff Rocks for brown eggs, Leghorns for white eggs. but my Leghorns are VERRRY flighty. Buff Rocks are the most laid back of the birds I've had.

RIR roosters had a heck of a time overwintering with frostbit combs. I'm surprised my leghorn hens have been fine with their huge combs! I have a Dark Cornish rooster which does great with winter. But they're a nasty breed IMO.

RIR carcasses are awful. I won't have them around. Our Rocks and Cornish and random crosses of them are tolerable in the soup pot, but still not like a commercial hybrid. Edited to add the puredbred Cornish roosters were like a commercial carcass, we butchered off the excess roos the first year. Just hybrids since.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I had RIR's decades ago...hens were flighty and the rooster was mean as the devil. He didn't last long and I swapped out for Black Australorps at that time - mine were awesome layers and calm girls. I had a Buff Orp rooster that lived to about 12 years old and not a mean bone in his body. My Easter Eggers are decent layers and pretty calm. I've got black and lavender orps - that are fairly decent layers and beautiful eye candy! I need new blood also...my gals ae getting old and I don't have enough young replacements...

 

[baymule]

I hate Delawares, mean, nasty, evil birds. I like my Easter Eggers, they lay good too. I got a flock of Australorps, but am disappointed in the size of the eggs. The best layers are sex links. Get new chicks every year, rotate the layers out in the fall of their 2nd year.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@baymule I was waiting for you to chime in on the Delawares, lol. Good to know though cuz at one time I thought I wanted some... not now! Did you Australorp eggs get bigger when the hens got a little older. Pullet eggs were pretty small, but after their first molt they turned into nice large eggs....not extra large...but a solid large.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Maybe hatchery doms are better layers, mine are from breeders and lay ok but not great, and have smallish eggs. They do great in winter though, I've heard BR do as well. Dominique hens are calm but the roos tend to be aggressive.

I've never met a RIR I liked. Mean things! I know some people like NH' s but I didn't like the temperament of the ones I had. Nice big eggs though!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

My favorite right now in our mixed flock is our New Hampshire Reds. She's quiet and consistently lays very large eggs, and her offspring have done the same. Another favorite here is a partridge rock. Great temperament, consistent layers. Same with the barred rocks. Ours free range, and the ones we like the least are the golden comets. They are small, but eat a LOT compared to the others, especially for their size.

CC, could you have a rat in your coop?

 

[CrealCritter]

I love my Dominiques but they are not that great layers, I wouldn't get them if my primary concern was egg laying. Barred Rocks are better for that, and they're pretty good temperament wise too. I can't stand RIR, personally (I know others here love them lol)

I started out with RIRs, they are mean chickens! Then I switched to BO they are calm and my grand daughters love them. But they started eating eggs, else I would continue with BO.